Regulatory institutions in the areas of health and education must constantly balance “needs of the society and that of the ease of provision of services,” and there is a need for deregulation so that private players can bring in efficiency, the Economic Survey 2025 noted.

This is in line with the larger theme of deregulation that CEA V Anantha Nageswaran mentioned.

It added that where the market, primarily indicating private players, “can do an effective job,” the regulations can “either be withdrawn” or compliances made “voluntary with disclosure”.

Tight regulations increase the compliance and supervision burden on State capacity that is already stretched and as a result “it gives rise to unfulfilled expectations” on the part of the public.

Therefore, for India to “receive the demographic dividend in full in the coming years, regulatory institutions need to evolve” with a focus on “allowing outcomes to happen without being fixated on inputs”.

The Survey pushes for a “trust-based regulation backed up by transparency and disclosure” in these sectors pointing out that the “regulated deserves a chance”.

Regulators, in fact, have been asked to develop their own assessment parameters; and report “on their own effectiveness transparently”.

Push for NEP

The Survey notes that National Education Policy (NEP 2020), “visualises a paradigm shift in the Indian higher education system” and envisages autonomy for institutions to innovate.

It recognises that ‘regulation of higher education has been too heavy-handed for decades…’ and that the ‘regulatory system is in need of a complete overhaul in order to re-energise the higher education sector and enable it to thrive’. Towards this end, the NEP suggests several institutional reforms.

“It asks that regulation must be light-but-tight, and aimed at financial probity and good governance. Regulation must also ensure transparency of key aspects in the functioning of a university ….,” it said.

Government health expenditure up

“In the Total Health Expenditure of the country between FY15 and FY22, the share of government health expenditure(GHE) has increased from 29.0 per cent to 48.0 per cent. During the same period, the share of out-of-pocket expenditure in Total Health Expenditure declined from 62.6 per cent to 39.4 per cent,” indicating success of government run insurance schemes, the Survey noted.

It mentioned that data of GHE and health outcomes based on OECD countries shows that health expenditures, economic growth(GDP) and healthcare provision (number of doctors), reduce infant mortality while positively impacting life expectancy.

Health expenditures have increased worldwide as it has in India too.

The latest National Health Accounts statistics for 2021-22, released in September 2024, said, the Total Health Expenditure in FY22 is estimated to be ₹9,04,461 crore (3.8 per cent of GDP and ₹6,602 per capita at current prices). The Total Health Expenditure per capita (at constant prices) has shown an increasing trend since FY19, it noted.

Out of the Total Health Expenditure, the current health expenditure is ₹7,89,760 crore (87.3 per cent), and capital expenditure is ₹1,14,701 crore (12.7 per cent).

“An increase in the share of capital expenditure in Total Health Expenditure from 6.3 per cent in FY16 to 12.7 per cent in FY22 is a positive sign as it will lead to broader and better health infrastructure,” it noted.

It also pointed out that government health insurance schemes constitute a 5.87 per cent share in healthcare financing schemes, out of which social insurance schemes have a 3.24 per cent share; and the government-supported voluntary insurance schemes have a 2.63 per cent share.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced several measures to strengthen higher education, including adding 10,000 medical seats in one year as part of 75,000 additional seats over the next five years. 

In her budget speech, she noted that there are 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (not counting IIT Zanzibar and IIT Abu Dhabi, run by IIT Madras and IIT Delhi, respectively). She said that the number of students passing through the 23 doubled from 65,000 to 1,35,000 in the past ten years. 

Sitharaman also said that additional infrastructure would be created in “the five IITs started after 2014”, to facilitate “education for 6,500 more students.” It is not clear as to which five, because according to the Council of Indian Institute of Technology, seven came into existence after 2014 – IIT Palakkad and IIT Tirupati came in 2015, and IITs at Dhanbad, IIT Bhilai, IIT Goa, IIT Jammu and IIT Dharwad in 2016. 

Sitharaman also said the hostel and other infrastructure at IIT Patna would be expanded. 

The Budget has increased ‘Grant support to IITs’, allocating Rs 10,659 crore compared with Rs 9,703 crore in the revised estimates for 2024-25 – a rise of 9.8 per cent. 

Centre of Excellence in AI 

The finance minister recalled that in her last budget speech, she had said three Centres of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence would be set up for AI in agriculture, health, and sustainable cities. In today’s budget speech, she announced one more CoE for AI, for education, “with an outlay of Rs 500 crore.” 

The Budget has allocated Rs 200 crore for the CoE—the other ₹300 crore must then come from extra-budgetary sources. In the Budget for 2024-25, ₹255 crore had been provided for the CoEs in AI, but only ₹110 crore were spent, as per the revised estimate for last year. 

PM Research Fellowship 

Sitharaman said 10,000 fellowships would be provided for technological research in IITs and the Indian Institute of Science “with enhanced financial support” over the next five years. 

Under this scheme, the best students who have completed or are in the final year of B. Tech or Integrated M.Tech or M.Sc. in Science and Technology streams from IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs/IIITs are be offered direct admission in PhD programme in the IITs and IISc. Eligible students are offered a monthly stipend of ₹70,000 for the first two years, ₹75,000 for the 3rd year, ₹80,000 for the 4th and 5th years. Apart from this, a research grant of ₹2 lakh is provided to each of the Fellows for 5 years to cover their foreign travel expenses—for presenting research papers at international conferences and seminars. Up to 3,000 Fellows (1,000 per year) are selected for three years. 

The finance minister noted that the government added about 1.1 lakh UG and PG medical education seats in ten years, an increase of 130 per cent. “In the next year, 10,000 additional seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals, towards the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next 5 years,” she said. 

Boston Consulting Group with 34 offers emerged as the “largest recruiter” at Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA) which conducted the first cluster of final placements for the PGP class of 2025.

Over 47 firms participated in Cluster 1 on Friday which comprised six cohorts – investment banking and markets, management consulting, niche consulting, advisory consulting, cards and financial advisory, private equity, venture capital, and asset management, stated an official release here, Saturday.

Prominent recruiters in the management consulting cohort included regular recruiters such as BCG, McKinsey, Kearney, Accenture Strategy, Monitor Deloitte, Simon-Kucher, EY Parthenon, Deloitte, PwC and KPMG. Prominent recruiters in the Investment Banking and Markets space included Avendus Capital, Moelis, HSBC, with the highest offers in Investment Banking made by Goldman Sachs (8). 

The PE and VC domain saw an uptick, with the participation of firms like General Atlantic, Everstone, Elevation Capital, Arga Investment. American Express rolled out 15 offers, highest in the cards and financial advisory cohort. Firms such as Transformation X (Dubai) and Arthur D Little (Riyadh) rolled out international placement opportunities for the student pool, the release added.

The Clusters 2 and 3 of placements will be held on February 3 and 6, respectively.  

Education company CL Educate has completed the acquisition of the Digital Exam Assessment (DEX) business of NSEIT Limited, a step-down subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), for ₹230 crore.

This acquisition strengthens CL Educate’s position in the fast-growing Rs 7000-crore assessments market in India, which is projected to grow annually at 12 per cent, reaching Rs 13,500 crore by 2028. Digital assessments, the space that CL Educate is specifically entering, accounts for 64 per cent of the assessments market in India, and is projected to grow at an even faster clip of 16 per cent.

The acquisition has an additional earn-out of ₹75 crore linked to FY25 performance, and is in sync with CL Educate’s strategic vision to diversify and expand into adjacent education sectors. DEX is the second-largest player in India’s digital assessments space, with a 20 per cent relative market share.

The DEX business provides scalable solutions across Recruitment & Promotion Exams, Professional Certifications, Vocational Assessments, Entrance Exams, and Employability Enhancement. With this acquisition, CL Educate aims to leverage its 30 years of experience in India’s education space to enhance DEX’s offerings and expand its footprint in the global digital assessment market, estimated at $15 billion.

Queen’s University Belfast which is opening an international campus in GIFT City, Gujarat will begin the academic session in January 2026 and will offer five postgraduate programmes that will be tailored to the specific needs of the Indian economy.

The University from Northern Ireland is a 200-year-old educational institution and also figures in the list of top 200 universities of the world. Through the five postgraduate programmes that will be initially offered to students at GIFT City, the University will focus on equipping students with high-demand skills in the areas of finance, technology and business analytics, stated the University in an official statement on its website.

• Also read: Tata Motors share price today: tanks 9% post Q3 results

In December 2024, businessline had reported about International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA) providing the necessary clearances to set up an international campus in GIFT City. Queen’s University will be the third foreign educational institution to open an international campus in GIFT City after two Australian Universities — Deakin and Wollongong University.

Dipesh Shah, Executive Director, IFSCA in GIFT City stated, “We welcome Queen’s University Belfast to GIFT IFSC. The international branch campus regulations of IFSCA enables seamless onboarding of top foreign universities in GIFT City. This would be the first UK University entering GIFT IFSC.”

• Also read: Whirlpool Corp to cut stake in Indian arm to 20% in 2025

In addition to the five postgraduate programmes offered initially, the University plans to increase the range of courses and also welcome PhD students. Queen’s President and vice chancellor professor Sir Ian Greer stated, “We are delighted that work is underway to bring Queen University’s world-class education to the wider student base in India. Our campus will offer opportunity and potential for a diverse range of students whilst also delivering social value and impact to the region. With a focus on innovation and collaboration, our GIFT City campus will create opportunities for knowledge exchange and advance the4 shared goal of sustainable development.”

A member of the Russell Group, Queen’s also figures among the UK’s top 24 leading research-intensive universities.

The Chennai-based Veranda Learning Solutions has announced a partnership with Norway’s Nursing Europe AS to empower Indian nurses with the skills needed to secure employment in Europe’s healthcare sector. Nursing Europe AS specialises in providing fully EU-qualified and licensed nurses to healthcare providers across European nations.

The partnership is projected to generate significant revenue, with estimates of over ₹200 crore in the next 3-5 years by placing over 2,000 students, says a release.

Europe faces a critical shortage of healthcare professionals, with the World Health Organization projecting a shortfall of 13 million healthcare workers by 2030.

Countries like Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and Italy urgently need qualified nurses to meet this growing demand. This shortage presents a unique opportunity for Indian nurses, who are highly skilled but often encounter challenges such as degree recognition, language proficiency and cultural adaptation when seeking employment abroad, the release said.

The global skilling initiative will offer a range of training and support services, including courses designed to meet European healthcare standards, focusing on both clinical and non-clinical competencies and preparing Indian nurses to achieve fluency in the languages required for effective patient care in their destination countries, the release said.

The share price of Veranda Learning on the NSE closed at ₹234.80, up by ₹11.42 or 5.11 per cent.

MICA, a marketing and communication institute in Ahmedabad achieved a record highest stipend of ₹5 lakh for a two-month internship offered during summer placements for the 2024-26 batch.

This is a 10 percent growth compared to the ₹4.55 lakh offered last year. The placement process participation of recruiters like Google India, Accenture S&C, IBM, Hindustan Lever, MasterCard, L’Oreal, Nivea, Puma India, Coca-Cola Company, Titan, and HSBC among others saw average stipends rise by 4.5 percent to ₹1.58 lakh for the two-month internship period.

Notably, the top 25 students secured an average stipend of ₹4,20,072 compared to ₹3,63,800 last year, while the top 50 students received an average stipend of ₹3,48,368, up from ₹3,01,820. “The demand for summer hires has remained strong across sectors this year, with particularly positive traction in FMCG, IT/ITES, BFSI, and Consulting,” stated Indranil Banerjee, Head of Corporate and Alumni Relations at MICA, in an official statement.

• Read also: Queen’s University Belfast to become 1st UK university to enter GIFT City

FMCG, IT/ITES, BFSI, and consulting firms have been among the most enthusiastic recruiters, reflecting the shift toward data-driven marketing, digital transformation, and customer-centric strategies. This year, the internship roles spanned across diverse domains like Sales and Marketing, Analytics,

Strategy, Sports Marketing, Media Procurement, E-commerce, Corporate Communications, Product Management, D2C Product Marketing, Market Research, Product, Management Trainee, Consulting, Associate Consultant, Retail Operations and Marketing and many more, the statement added.

Vidyadhan, a philanthropic initiative started by Infosys Founder Shibulal’s family,  is targeting to provide one lakh scholarships by 2030.

Run by the Shiblal Family Philanthropic Initiative (SFPI), the programme so far supported over 14,000 students through 50,000 scholarships in 20 States and Union Territories.

“We follow a rigorous filtering process to select the deserving candidates for the scholarships. The process includes a written test and house visits,” a senior functionary of the organisation has said.

At a function held here on Wednesday to mark the 25th anniversary of the programme, S D Shibulal and Kumari Shibulal interacted with the old and new candidates that were selected for the programme.

“Every child deserves a chance to dream and achieve. Vidyadhan has been a catalyst for making those dreams a reality,” Kumari, Co-Founder of SFPI, said.

Shibulal said the organisation aimed to break the cycle of poverty and create a generation of confident, self-reliant individuals. “We would like to scale the programme to provide one lakh scholarships by 2030,” he said.

The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA), the top B-school in the country, will begin its final placement process for the Post-Graduate Programme (PGP) from January 31.

The placement process for 2024-25 has been divided into three clusters. While the placements for Cluster 1 will be held on January 31, those for Cluster 2 and 3 will be held on February 3 and February 6, respectively. IIMA follows a cluster-cohort-based placement process wherein companies are assorted into cohorts on the basis of their industry profiles and several cohorts are invited to the campus in a particular cluster, stated an official release from the institute.

The placements for the PGP-Food and Agri Business Management will also be held parallely on the same dates. 

IIMA hosted an elaborate mix of firms from diverse sectors during the Laterals Placement process that concluded on January 21. The highest offers — eleven– were rolled out by FinIQ Consulting. Other recruiters present included Browserstack, Mastercard, Navi, Zomato, and Vector Consulting Group, amongst others, the release added.

No power on earth can stop India’s growth trajectory, said Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, while speaking at the 12th convocation ceremony of Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) at Gandhinagar, in Gujarat.

“Within a couple of years, India will emerge as the third largest economy in the world. No power on earth can stop India’s growth trajectory. I can clearly foresee that India will become the most prosperous nation in the world, before the end of this century,” said Ambani while addressing the convocation Tuesday evening.

“But, India with other large economies also has a big responsibility. We must not allow economic growth to endanger planet earth and further worsen the climate crisis. Therefore, the transition from fossil fuels to clean and green energy, has to be accelerated. I am supremely confident that green technologies and green enterprises can reverse the ecological degradation and indeed make our planet more beautiful and liveable for future generations. Our Prime Minister wants India to become the greenest nation in the world. For this purpose, India is transforming into a deep tech-nation, with advanced manufacturing capabilities,” he added.

Addressing the graduating students, Ambani also told them that they were entering the “golden age of India.” “There has never been a better time to be young and ambitious in India. You are stepping into the golden age of India. You are not only its inheritors but also its creators. The future belongs to you,” he said.

On Saturday, January 25, FIITJEE – one of the largest training institutes in India primarily for engineering aspirants – said, it was working to “resume operations at all place within a reasonable time.” This came after centres pan- India, but primarily across Delhi – NCR, UP and MP, closed down overnight leaving several students in the lurch.

A glance through FIITJEE Ltd’s – almost a three-decade old entity – last available finances by businessline, indicate some stress with declining profits – down 77 per cent on a three-year basis (FY21-23), falling EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), drop in revenues by 8 per cent (for a three year basis).

On a five year comparison (FY19 – 23), revenues are down 5 per cent, and profits are up 3 per cent CAGR.

As per filings with RoC and also available with Tracxn – the global start-up data platform – the last financial reports are updated till FY23.

In FY23, the company, as per Tracxn – had a negative cash flow from activities to the tune of ₹18 crore, and cash flow from financing activities were also in the negative, at ₹8.2 crore. Cash and cash equivalents for the period was ₹5.3 crore.

Numbers Game

The data reveals, FY23 revenues were up 22 per cent up year-on-year to ₹481.1 crore, from ₹394.4 crore in FY22 (a year partly impacted by Covid). Revenues have however took a fall from the FY20 peak, when it stood at ₹618 crore, up by 1 per cent-odd y-o-y over ₹615 crore of FY19. Highest revenue fall was reported in FY22 – a Covid year – at ₹394.4 crore.

Interestingly, during this five year period under review the company wiped out losses of FY19 which were to tune of ₹135 crore-odd and reported a profit of ₹20 crore in FY20. Profits peaked (in the five year review period) in FY21 to ₹57 crore, but there was a sharp decline a year later to ₹0.4 core in FY22. In FY23, the company had slipped into losses of ₹71 crore, as per Tracxn data.

The company’s EBITDA – a measure of profitability – also indicate a similar fluctuation.

In FY23, there was an EBITDA loss of ₹41.2 crore, while in the year-ago-period there was a positive EBITDA of ₹23.9 crore (for FY22). However, FY22 EBITDA was down 75 per cent-odd y-o-y from the ₹101 crore in FY21 – when it had peaked over a five year period. In FY20, EBITDA was 53.8 crore. In FY19, the company had a negative EBITDA of ₹109 crore-odd.

FIITJEE is yet to respond to queries from businessline; or share a turnaround plan.

In fact, there has also been a fall in its teaching staff numbers. Last available numbers with Tracxn show it had 1431 employees in September 2024, down 37 per cent. In fact, the employee count has been going down on sequential basis too. As on April there were 1689 staff (down from 2042 in March), and since then the head count went down to 1670 in May, to 1495 in June, and so on till there was a slight jump in August at 1466.

The company has an authorised capital of ₹62.7 crore and a paid up capital of ₹42.5 crore.

What FIITJEE said earlier

The Delhi-based company issued an official statement last week pointing out that the current turmoil is because of “overnight desertion of the centre by the Centre Managing Partner along with the entire team” and that the “present turmoil in the institution is temporary”.

Explaining the financial set-up FIITJEE said, every managing partner is responsible for the P&L of the centre. And all centre-level operational decisions (strategy & planning for business growth, management, revenue generation, administration, infrastructure, costs & expenses) are managed and executed at “exclusive discretion and judgement” of the managing partners-cum-centre heads.

“The corporate office at Delhi only follows the advice of the Managing Partners in order to grow the business,” it said adding that managing partners have a profit-sharing model (besides getting a regular salary).

Squarely blaming the managing partners, the company said, “owing to mismanagement & exploitation …FIITJEE’s financial situation worsened in January 2024. Group CFO forecasted that after 6 months, the company might run into operational cash crunch.”

In February 2024, the company had told its managing partners to “optimise excess manpower” while outlin(ing) a strategy for bouncing back.

At Larsen & Toubro’s Tunnelling Excellence Academy (TEA) in Kancheepuram, Sekar (name changed), wearing goggles and a helmet, keenly observes his instructor describing the working of the massive tunnel boring machines (TBMs) used to drill underground metro rail corridors. He and the other trainees at the academy will soon join the large workforce involved in laying underground metro lines around the country.

India’s rapid development of metro rail systems has led to the creation of a nearly 1,000 km network across 25 cities. L&T is one of the main companies executing metro projects in India. To remedy the dearth of skilled people, the company is creating its own trained pool of human resources. 

It has deployed 21 TBMs in places such as Chennai and Hyderabad to execute several metro, railway, road, and water infrastructure projects.

In-house talent

The company’s maiden metro tunnelling project dates back to 1999 — an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for Delhi Metro. However, that section of the network was mostly elevated, and the scope of work changed when underground metro projects were launched in Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

In the absence of in-house talent, the tunnelling staff were mostly hired from outside the company. That’s when the need for the academy was felt, as the company targeted becoming a major player in the tunnelling business. 

Established in 2018, the TEA is the country’s first dedicated training centre for tunnelling and underground construction. It offers a mix of classroom-based learning and hands-on training, covering all aspects of tunnelling — from designing and construction to operating TBMs, says K Senthilnathan, Executive Vice President and Head-Technical Services, Heavy Civil Infrastructure, L&T Construction.

“We have so far trained over 1,000 people at various levels, including frontline supervisors and engineers. It is only for internal use. However, the market is very dynamic and some of the people who were trained here have left. Meanwhile, we have to sustain our business and we continue training more people,” he says.

TEA also has a tie-up with Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, which has a department specialising in rock mechanics. 

Trainees attend a two-week theoretical session there. In the case of middle managers, after 45 days of training at various sites, they receive practical training at TEA. Those at the junior or primary level receive training at TEA before being assigned to various sites, he says. 

The minimum qualification for a tunnelling workman is 12th pass; the engineers involved in this work typically have a background in rock mechanics or geotechnical studies. 

Skill Pool

The academy’s director, Puny Praya Boni, says tunnelling in India is a relatively new field of work. L&T is contributing to the growth in the number of skilled engineers and workmen to help realise the dream of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, he adds.

The TEA aims to function as a global centre of excellence for academic research in tunnelling and related underground construction technologies, Senthilnathan says. Those trained at the academy are currently deployed at various sites in India and overseas. Refresher courses are also on offer, he says.

Tunnelling is a complicated line of work, as it involves working underground with little knowledge of what to expect in the terrain. The technicians are often called upon to take split-second decisions. Any emergencies also require the personnel to act fast, with no time to reach out to superiors above the ground for instructions.

Given the intensive nature of the work, tunnelling projects call for workers with a passion for the job, says Boni.

The Trump administration’s policies on citizenship, stricter immigration, and visa rules may influence the preferences of Indian students pursuing higher education in the United States, according to industry players.

India is the top source of international students in the USA. According to the latest Open Doors Report, in the 2023-2024 academic year, 331,602 Indian students are studying in the United States. However, industry experts suggest a potential decline in the number of Indian students choosing the US due to evolving policies and growing uncertainties

Since taking office, President Trump has introduced policies that have created uncertainty for international students. Dr. Ramakrishnan Raman, Vice-Chancellor of Symbiosis International (SIU – Deemed University), highlighted that the administration’s emphasis on recognising only two genders and its colour-blind policies could undermine diversity and inclusion—values that US universities are widely recognised for.

Additionally, amendments to citizenship laws and stricter immigration rules have caused hesitation among prospective Indian students. “This creates a sense of ambiguity for those planning to study and work in the US,” Raman explained.

Stricter visa regulations and potential financial challenges have further complicated the situation. Nitish Jain, President of SP Jain Group, noted that delays in visa processing and complex immigration policies have made the US less appealing. “Many students cannot afford to wait for months for visa approvals or navigate these hurdles,” Jain added.

Numbers decreasing?

Over the past six months, the number of Indian students pursuing higher education in the US has declined. “In the last six months, the volume has fallen. I think it will fall further,” stated Aman Singh, co-Founder of the digital ecosystem for international higher education GradRight.

Destinations like the UK, Australia, have emerged as attractive alternatives.

Rise of alternatives

As the US becomes less accessible for many, Indian students are increasingly exploring alternative destinations and programs. The UK has reintroduced its Graduate Route, allowing students to stay and work for two years after graduation. Australia continues to attract students with its post-study work opportunities and inclusive policies, elaborated Jain.

Dual degree programmes are also witnessing rising demand. Dr. Raman cited the success of a dual degree programme of Symbiosis with Macquarie University in Sydney, which received 2,200 applications for just five seats. “We expect these numbers to grow as students consider alternatives amidst policy uncertainty,” added Raman.

Additionally, satellite campuses of US universities in other countries, such as Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai and Hult International Business School in Dubai, offer students the chance to earn US degrees while studying in more accessible locations.

Despite the challenges, experts remain optimistic about the resilience of Indian talent. Jain emphasised that skilled and adaptable students will continue to find opportunities globally. “The demand for high-quality education and global exposure will not diminish. The key is for students to build transferable skills that are in demand across industries,” he noted.

Commenting on the visa delays, Sonal Kapoor, Chief Commercial Officer at Prodigy Finance, observed that despite the increased scrutiny of student applications, the resulting pressure is prompting many students to rush their applications to universities in the US.

Singh highlighted a potential silver lining in these policy changes: a shift in demand toward programs in AI, cybersecurity, and other future-focused fields. “While some students may face challenges, top-tier talent will still find ways to thrive in high-quality institutions,” he said.

The owner of FIITJEE and 11 others have been booked on a complaint by the parents of the coaching institute’s students after several of its centres in Delhi-NCR shut down, police said on Saturday.

FIITJEE founder DK Goyal, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Rajiv Babbar, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Manish Anand and its Greater Noida branch head Ramesh Batlesh have been named in the FIR, a Noida Police spokesperson said.

“Based on the complaint of parents, a case has been registered on charges of criminal conspiracy and breach of trust,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida) Rambadan Singh said.

On Friday, students and parents said several FIITJEE centres have unexpectedly shut down across Delhi-NCR and many teachers have resigned allegedly due to non-payment of salaries for months.

• Also read: FIITJEE’s Delhi-NCR centres shut down, leaving students in a lurch

FIITJEE provides coaching for competitive exams to engineering aspirants and has 73 centres across the country.

Citing the complaint of Satsang Kumar, a resident of Greater Noida, the Noida Police spokesperson said that the institute’s centre in Noida, Sector-62 was open till Tuesday but closed an hour before schedule. Later, it was found that the centre had been completely closed. He claimed that more than two thousand students studied at the centre.

Similar allegations have also been made by Manoj Kumar, a resident of Sector Omega-2 of Greater Noida.

The abrupt closure of FIITJEE centres has left many students and their parents, who have paid fees running into lakhs of rupees, in the lurch.

India’s ed-tech segment – including the offline coaching centre segment – went into a turmoil with the sudden closure of several branches of the coaching institute FIITJEE in Delhi NCR and north-India. Apart from speculation over the institute’s financial health following several teachers resigning en-masse over unpaid salaries, sources said closures were accentuated by new safety audit norms that were introduced by civic bodies of the region.

The closure has left hundreds of students in the lurch, with parents protesting against the institute. Several pictures and videos showing the parents protesting outside the institute’s now-shut branches have gone viral on social media.

Many parents have filed police complaints, alleging that the private coaching institution shut down without prior notice or or refunding them.

Sources said, institute closures have been reported across cities like Delhi, Noida, Meerut, Varanasi, Gaziabad, and others.

Community platform LocalCircles said feedback from parents in North India indicates that a large number of FIITJEE centers have unexpectedly shut down. It also pointed out to a larger issue with coaching institutes.

Coaching the classes

In a survey that it conducted, which received 10,000 responses, 58 per cent parents flagged “broken promises, trust and transparency issues” with coaching institutes in the last 24 months. The data showed that 21 per cent parents have had issues with the “teaching staff changes/effectiveness”, while another 21 per cent have had “refund issues”. Some 38 per cent of respondents hinted at “false promises, trust and transparency issues” and 20 per cent of respondents indicated that they had faced all the three issues during the last 2 years.

Sachin Taparia, Founder, LocalCircles said: “There is a broader need for intervention in how coaching classes are conducted, the standards and consumer protection. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs need to work in collaboration and set rules for how the coaching industry needs to operate in India with clear standards, do’s and don’ts. Till that is done, incidents like FIITJEE will continue to occur impacting students negatively.”

Govt crackdown

Incidentally, coaching centres like FIITJEE have also been bearing the brunt of government crackdown following accidents in Delhi and other areas. Safety audits had been carried out and some of the coaching institutes and their locations were allegedly declared unfit and unsafe, leading to sealing of premises or closure of centres.

FIITJEE was started nearly three decades ago by DK Goel, a mechanical engineering graduate from IIT Delhi. The chain of coaching institutes specialises in engineering entrance exam training and also offers NEET entrance coaching. The institute also provides coaching for basic foundation classes of 8,9 and 10 and has a pan-India presence.

In a bid to pay it forward to his alma mater and generate more product awareness among India’s innovative youth, Aravind Srinivas, the co-founder of AI search engine Perplexity, has given free Perplexity Pro access to all students, faculty, and staff of IIT Madras.

Perplexity Pro is the AI-powered search platform’s premium subscription plan giving access to variety of advanced AI models and is priced at around $20 per month. Estimates suggest that almost 12,000 free licenses would have been offered to IIT-Madras given the strength of students and faculty.

“We’ve given free Perplexity Pro to all students and faculty and staff of IIT Madras, where I did my undergrad. Super excited to start there as we begin our expansion for Indian campuses,” Srinivas said in a post on X.

The post hints that this is also a way for Perplexity to get more people to experience its products in India, which has a large addressable market for AI-powered tools given its young knowledge base. Perplexity has also set in motion its India expansion, as recently indicated by Srinivas in a hiring post on LinkedIn. He posted that the company is looking to recruit someone to help expand its presence in India, and the role involves travel and meeting with strategic partners in a fast-paced, startup environment.

Srinivas  attended school in Chennai and received  his undergraduate engineering degree at IIT-Madras. Founded in 2022 by Srinivas, Andy Konwinski, Denis Yarats, and Johnny Ho, Perplexity’s valuation had grown rapidly to touch almost $9 billion as of December 2024, when it raised a $500 million round. Its investors include Jeff Bezos, Andrej Karpathy, Susan Wojcicki, Elad Gil, Naval Ravikant, and institutional investors.

An internal mail sent to IIT students and staff by the institute director noted that: “IIT-Madras is partnering with Perplexity to provide free Perplexity Pro to all students and faculty. Perplexity combines real-time internet search with large language models to deliver detailed answers backed by trusted sources. Students around the world use Perplexity to kickstart their research, find high quality sources in seconds, and study for exams.” IIT-Madras also thanked Srinivas for the generous gesture as part of the note.

“Wonderful gesture @AravSrinivas for @iitmadras!! I am sure that we will put this to great use! You will expand your presence in India in no time! Not just in campuses,” B Ravindran, IIT-Madras professor and Head of Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, said in a post on X.

Speaking to businessline, Ravindran added that Perplexity Pro allows users to carry out search using not just a single AI model but multiple advanced models, such as GPT-4, Claude, and even Perplexity’s own model and making it valuable for students and faculty, each with its own unique strengths.

Perplexity AI co-founder and CEO Aravind Srinivas said, “Knowledge is power, and one of its most powerful things is that it is available to anyone who wants to achieve it. AI native search is changing how future generations learn and consume information online, and it is an honor to make Perplexity Pro available to all students at my alma mater. IIT Madras has significantly shaped the person I am today. With this collaboration, I am optimistic about how the future generation will build remarkable AI products and models globally and in India.”

Business schools are increasingly at the forefront of addressing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) concerns, recognising their critical importance in shaping tomorrow’s leaders. Just as businesses worldwide focus on creating more inclusive environments, business schools have evolved – updating their curricula, implementing innovative strategies, and ensuring that their graduates are well-equipped to lead with sensitivity regarding DEI issues.

Integrating DEI into the curriculum

While traditional functional subjects such as finance, marketing, and leadership continue, these subjects are increasingly being infused with DEI-related content. For example, core courses in organisational behaviour and strategy now include very specific lessons on inclusive leadership, biases in decision-making, and how diversity can potentially enhance organisational performance.

Further, business schools now also offer specialised courses dedicated to diversity management, social responsibility, and sustainable and ethical leadership. These courses often cover topics such as understanding the impact of unconscious biases, building inclusive teams, and addressing potential inequality within corporate structures. A quick look at schools across the world will indicate courses such as “inclusive leadership,” “social innovation,” and “corporate social responsibility,” all of which emphasise how business decisions can affect a range of stakeholders, including underrepresented or marginalised people.

Strategies for DEI beyond curriculum

To truly embed DEI principles into their culture, business schools are adopting a range of innovative strategies that go beyond curriculum changes. First, schools are looking at hiring and nurturing diverse faculty. Diversity among faculty not only provides different perspectives on the curriculum but also serves as an important role-model for students. These faculty can bring their lived experience toward contributing to a more comprehensive learning environment. I also believe that as business schools are also focusing on diverse leadership teams, they are shaping the strategic direction of the school, ensuring that DEI becomes a central pillar in both their teaching and research. Second, business schools are forging partnerships with organisations that prioritise diversity and inclusion.

That is, they are increasingly working with companies, non-profit organisations, and social enterprises to provide students with opportunities to learn, imbibe, and apply their DEI learning in real-world settings. For example, students can collaborate on projects with organisations that are committed to improving workplace diversity or designing strategies for social impact. These partnerships can help students bridge the gap between theory and practice, providing them with tangible experiences that can demonstrate the real-world relevance of DEI issues. I have also seen examples of programmes that encourage students to engage directly with underrepresented communities (for exmple, action research, pro-bono work) wherein students can understand on-the-ground social and economic challenges.

Real-world applications of DEI learning

Business schools do not stop at teaching about DEI. Schools, the world over, are increasingly encouraging their students to actively apply what they’ve learned in real-world scenarios. For example, one can see student-run social enterprises or internships or action projects with diversity-conscious firms. All these activities help students turn their knowledge into actionable leadership. Student-led initiatives have also assumed the form of activities such as “diversity day” or “assistive technology conferences” or conclaves and virtual meets wherein open conversations, workshops, and networking opportunities between students, faculty, and industry leaders can serve as practical learning platforms related to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Overall, I believe that as our business world continues to evolve, business schools are uniquely positioned to ensure that our next generation of leaders is equipped with the skills, empathy, and mindset to lead diverse, equitable, and inclusive organisations.

— Mukta Kulkarni

(The writer is the Dean (Programmes) and Chairperson of the Office of International Affairs at IIM Bangalore)

Adda247, a leading ed-tech and test preparation platform, has embarked on a transition journey by integrating education, skilling and career development to build a future-ready workforce.

The online platform is the process of building partnerships and has tied up with the education institution Shoolini University and Axis Bank.

The collaborations will help design programs that combine academic learning with practical, industry-relevant skills while also meeting the demand side of the economy, said Adda247.

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Bimaljeet Singh Bhasin, CEO, Skilling and Higher Education, Adda247 said the company aims to bridge the gap between traditional education and the evolving needs of industries, while addressing the needs of both job aspirants and professionals.

The shift reflects a broader transformation in India’s skilling ecosystem, where the focus is increasingly on integrating academic learning with job-specific skills, he said.

By working closely with organisations, the company gains first hand insights into the specific skills required for various roles and design skilling programs that prepare learners for immediate job opportunities, ensuring alignment with industry expectations, said Bhasin who has 15-year experience in the industry.

Cross-functional expertise demand for specialised skills in areas such as technology, BFSI and the digital economy is growing fast. Roles in data analytics, AI, digital marketing and customer service now require not just technical know-how, but also broader cross-functional expertise.

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A tech professional specialising in AI must also understand customer journeys and market dynamics to drive meaningful impact. Similarly, customer-facing roles now require interpersonal skills alongside proficiency with digital tools, he said.

Adda247 is working with industry leaders to develop programs focused on high-demand areas like AI, cloud computing, and customer service.

The Apollo University, Apollo Hospitals and University of Leicester, United Kingdom, have partnered to establish the Centre for Digital Health and Precision Medicine (CDHPM) at The Apollo University campus in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. 

The advanced research centre, which was formally inaugurated on Monday, will bring together the expertise and resources of both institutions to create a global hub for digital health and precision medicine. The CDHPM Centre will be the hub in Chittoor, while another hub at the University of Leicester will be based at the BHF Cardiovascular Research Centre at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester.

“With the CDHPM, we aspire to transform healthcare delivery by bettering disease prediction, prevention, diagnosis, and management for acute and chronic conditions and are committed to profoundly impacting global healthcare,’‘ Prathap C. Reddy, Chancellor of the Apollo University and Founding Chairman, Apollo Hospitals, said in a release. 

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Nishan Canagarajah, President and Vice Chancellor, University of Leicester, said: “The establishment of the centre will allow Leicester and Apollo to build the healthcare of the future, which has the potential to transform lives not only in India and the UK but around the globe.’‘

Chandrika Tandon almost never made it to the 187-year-old Madras Christian College. Her mother wanted to enroll her in a girl’s college and get her married soon after. But Chandrika had other ideas. She wanted to enroll on a new B.Com programme MCC had launched in the early 1970s. It took the principal of Holy Angels school in Chennai, where she had studied, visit her home to persuade her mother to allow Chandrika to enroll at the Sylvan co-ed campus of the college on the city’s outskirts.

Now, as a famous alumna of the college, Tandon is giving back to MCC: with a matching grant of $1 million to the college, in addition to the $ 1 million she donated earlier, she inaugurated the MCC Boyd Tandon School of Business here today, a school which bears her name as well as that of Alexander Boyd, a distinguished former principal of the college. Also present were KM Mammen, Chairman, of the MCC Association and Chairman of MRF and P Wilson, Principal of MCC.

In her address, Tandon emphasised that the B-school will be different in many ways. The B-school will be part of the larger MCC eco-system which is deeply involved in liberal arts and the sciences which the students can be part of. “We want to create holistic individuals who will be resilient so our approach will be interdisciplinary,” she said. Unbounded is the vision of the school, she added.

She said that the B-school students can also leverage the MRF Innovation Park that has been established on the MCC campus and the students will be required to form a company to understand a real-world situation: “Maybe 80 per cent may fail but they will learn valuable lessons along the way,” she added.

Social immersion is another area the B-school will emphasise to get the students to gain empathy and make them aware of what is happening in the areas of climate change, sustainability and deprivation.

The B-school will create a strong bridge between industry and the school and Tandon mentioned that in the six months since the school launched the programme, with 60 students, over 80 industry experts have come to talk to the students on a variety of subjects from AI to logistics. Students are already working part-time in companies to gain industry experience she pointed out, which is also a requirement of the B-school’s curricula. At least 75 per cent of practising managers are part of the academic council. As MCC Principal Wilson explained: “The problem-solving ability of students can be enhanced from multiple perspectives in the ecosystem that we have created.”

Dear Gen Z,

You are the ‘generation of possibilities.’ As I write this, some of you are already in your first jobs. This letter is for you. You may already be asking how much of your life you will give to work.

In India’s not-so-distant past, the norm was clear. The Factories Act mandated a 48-hour, six-day work week, with overtime as an exception, not the rule. By the 1980s, many companies shifted to a five-day work week, reducing working hours to 40. Well done. But today, voices call for 70- or even 90-hour weeks across the company as the country becomes increasingly aspirational.

But the question is, do we need to work that long, and what should be our attitude to work in general and the company in particular?

Way of life

For my dad’s generation, “Work is Worship” wasn’t just a phrase but a way of life. Loyalty to an employer was sacred. Many spent 35 years with just one or two companies. They worked with integrity and grit, but even capped their work week at 50-55 hours.

Then came my generation, the one that went berserk. Ranks in school and colleges were important. We glorified work, placing career over everything else, including family and friends. Work culture became toxic, with verbal abuse flying thick and fast in high-pressure environments. Professions such as accounting, audit, medicine, law and investment banking became synonymous with extended hours. And what was the cost of this? Health deteriorated, relationships strained and personal passions withered. Early burnouts, receding hairlines and hefty paunches became the level of physical fitness. The painter in you died, and so did your desire to run the marathon for India. The result: Today, India is the global capital for lifestyle diseases.

Your generation has the best opportunity to redefine work. You have the tools for it. Today, technology has made the world borderless and remote work is a reality. You can cut out long commutes and work from home. These shifts bring flexibility, but also blur the lines between work and life.

Remember the law of nature. A day is divided into three equal parts: eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep and eight hours for everything else — time to grow, rest and simply be. Yet, there’s a toxic myth that long hours equal patriotism. Let me be clear: You’re not heading to war. You’re stepping into a workplace to earn a living and create something meaningful. Working 90 or 100 hours a week doesn’t make you a hero; it makes you burnt out.

Smart, not long

Studies tell us what common sense should be: Working longer doesn’t mean working better. A Stanford study found that productivity drops sharply after 50 hours a week. After 55 hours, additional work is practically useless. Countries like Germany and Norway understand this. They’ve adopted shorter work weeks and consistently rank higher in productivity per hour. Microsoft Japan experimented with a four-day work week and saw a 40 per cent rise in productivity. The lesson? Work smart, not long.

You already have the resources to make it happen. AI tools like ChatGPT can handle the boring work, while you shift your energy toward work that truly matters. Embrace technology to enhance efficiency rather than extend your hours. The future of work isn’t about spending endless hours at your desk; it’s about delivering meaningful results. So, don’t wear overwork like a badge of pride. Champion efficiency over exhaustion.

Spend your evenings and weekends on things that rejuvenate you. Read a book, pursue a hobby, listen to music, walk, hit the gym, or spend time with people. Unplug on vacations — leave the office mobile and laptop behind. Your well-being isn’t negotiable. Explore a second passion, stay physically and mentally fit and nurture relationships. These things will sustain you through life’s ups and downs.

Remember, no soul in that company will care for you the day you leave your job. You have a unique opportunity to learn from global best-practices.

Countries with shorter work weeks have become more productive, healthier and happier. Let’s measure success not by hours logged but by the impact we create. Let’s build workplaces that value creativity, good health and sustainability as much as profits.

This is your moment. Use technology, question toxic myths and do what truly matters. Get up and show that a workplace is one where work serves life — not vice versa. The power to create this change lies in your hands.

With hope and belief in you,

– V Pattabhi Ram

The writer is a CA, and co-author of the book, ‘India in 2047: The Amazing Rise of a Modern Nation’

The EdTech sector in India is witnessing unprecedented growth, with its contribution to the country’s GDP projected to rise from 0.1 per cent in 2020 to 0.4 per cent by 2029, according to a joint report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Grant Thornton Bharat.

The report highlighted that in 2020, India’s GDP was valued at $2.67 trillion, with the EdTech market contributing $2.8 billion–equivalent to 0.1 per cent of GDP. “The EdTech sector in India is rapidly growing, with its contribution to GDP expected to increase from 0.1 per cent in 2020 to 0.4 per cent by 2029, highlighting its expanding role in the economy and alignment with government initiatives”.

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It noted that with the sector’s steady growth over the years, driven by increasing digital adoption, government support, and evolving consumer demand for online education, the sector is expected to reach valuation of $29 billion by 2030.The Indian EdTech market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.8 per cent over the next few years. In 2024, the market is already valued at $7.5 billion, solidifying its position as the third-largest funded EdTech ecosystem globally, after the United States and China.

As of December 2024, India has over 17,000 EdTech companies, including seven unicorns. This number is second only to the United States, which boasts 13 EdTech unicorns.

However, the report also noted challenges in terms of funding. The Indian EdTech sector saw a peak in funding in 2021, securing $4.86 billion. Since then, investment in the sector has sharply declined, dropping to $2.88 billion in 2022 and further plummeting by 87 per cent to $535 million in 2023.

By the end of 2024, the sector managed to secure around $730 million. The funding downturn is attributed to broader macroeconomic conditions and cautious investor sentiment, which have impacted investment flows across industries. Despite these hurdles, the Indian EdTech sector remains a promising and dynamic space. With a focus on innovation and scalability, it is poised to play a pivotal role in the country’s economic growth and educational transformation.

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In a significant move to revive and modernise higher education in the State, which suffered due to neglect over the last few years, the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) has decided to overhaul its undergraduate curriculum by completely revising its syllabus to make it industry-ready. 

The council would emphasise on skills development and fostering entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.

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The council, however, has not addressed the critical issue of staffing government colleges and universities. Numerous vacancies remain, and the resulting lack of teachers poses a significant challenge to higher education in the state.

It called for suggestions from the public to help it rebuild higher education in the State. The initiatives signal a drive to align education with industry demands, enhance graduate employability, and foster innovation.

Acknowledging the evolving demands of the job market, the TGCHE proposes to bridge the gap between academic learning and practical skills, ensuring graduates are ‘industry-ready’. The revised curriculum will provide hands-on learning and industry-relevant knowledge.

It also proposes to devise a new internship programme to equip students with industry-aligned competencies. Subject-specific committees will lead the syllabus revision process.

In a bid to foster collaboration and inclusivity, the TGCHE is inviting suggestions from academics, industry experts, students, and policymakers to inform wider reforms within the higher education system. A dedicated Google form is made available on the TGCHE website (www.tgche.ac.in) to facilitate this process.

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Key focus areas

The council said the new programme is aimed at integrating technology and digital transformation; strengthening research and development; introducing Faculty Development Programmes.

Union labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday urged the industry to develop home-grown models for understanding and assessing employment, jobs, unemployment, skilling, growth, and the economy to map the country’s real situation and not interpolate data into “foreign constructs.”

He also said that model career service centres would be set up in every university under the PPP mode to boost job creation.

The Union Minister said this after hearing industry presentations in core sectors—including manufacturing, logistics, green jobs, hospitality, and tourism—at the CII Conference on the Future of Jobs, ‘Sharing Tomorrow’s Workforce: Driving Growth in a Dynamic World’.

Mandaviya recommended that the industry not pitch its domain workforce prospects on models that do not reflect conditions here.

He said every continent has its own model. Some may not consider self-employment a job, but it is a very big sector generating employment in the country.

“Which model are we analysing? Do we have our own model?” he remarked, as he suggested for mapping, among others, of data and demography to offer out-of-the-box solutions on employment that are rooted in Indianess.

He, however, lauded the CII’s initiative of creating a model career counselling centre in Gurugram.

“This type of model (centre) should be in PPP mode….I want to set up a career counselling centre in every university through industries bodies like CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM wherever they have the reach,” Mandaviya said while emphasising that he has directed his ministry to seek access of all such efforts.

He suggested that the premises for setting up the centre would be given by universities while the skilling and work would be done by the federations and local industries bodies, and logistics support would be given by the employment ministry.

Sharing his thoughts on future of jobs, he said that the National Career Service portal should have interface so that job seekers can easily navigate opportunities as per their qualifications and experiences, both in India and abroad.

He insisted that demand and requirement lead to skilling and, subsequently, employment, which is why, in the Employment Linked Incentive, the Ministry is introducing the hub-and-spoke concept. It’s a model with a central hub connected to multiple spokes for efficient management of various things.

There is no dearth of jobs or employment and all jobseekers need are directions.

“We have skill as well as manpower. We need to create an ecosystem. Wealth creators should be respected. When wealth is created then employment is created,” he said.

The minister also stressed the need for tweaking the definition of employment, saying all those creating wealth by working at home or in their fields are also employed. He said women are a major workforce in the agriculture and animal husbandry sectors, which are not recognised in the database.

He also suggested that there should be a task force for workforce analysis.

Tata Group on Tuesday said it has partnered with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to establish Tata IISc Medical School at the institute’s Bengaluru campus and will contribute ₹500 crore to support it.

The Tata IISc Medical School will be a centre of excellence that seeks to catalyse a unique model of clinical research and medical education in India by integrating basic science and engineering with clinical science and practice, the group said in a statement.

It will focus on various specialities, including oncology, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, diabetes and metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, integrative medicine, and public health.

It said that under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Tuesday, the Tata Group will contribute ₹500 crore to support the establishment of the medical school.

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said, “Healthcare is one of India’s biggest challenges and also one of its greatest opportunities, given the scale at which technology will be able to transform everything from diagnosis to care and community health.” He said, “The institute’s emphasis on cutting-edge research and global collaboration will create a highly qualified cadre of physician-scientists trained in the latest approaches to modern medicine.” “Their effect will be felt across the spectrum of healthcare, and will help individuals access quality treatment,” he added.

IISc Director G Rangarajan said the institute owes its existence to the munificence and far-sighted vision of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, who was unparalleled in his philanthropy towards education in India.

“We are firmly committed to carrying forward this legacy and breaking new ground in creating affordable healthcare solutions for India and the rest of the world,” he said.

After a century of contributions to science and engineering, Rangarajan said, “We now have a unique opportunity to create new frontiers in medicine.”

Pointing out that India’s digital infrastructure is facing “threats”, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the country needed “tech-savvy forces” that could defend and protect its “digital world”.

“It is important for us to recognise the newer challenges which are facing the country’s security. Today’s technology does not recognise borders. Technology which is available to us to increase productivity, is being misused by some vested interests or dark forces,” said Sitharaman while addressing the 4th convocation ceremony of the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

“The digital public infrastructure which we have created for ourselves is also facing a threat. People who misuse their skills in the digital world can even threaten many of our installations, digital payment areas, and premier institutions like stock markets, banks, payment institutions or portals offering e-marketing services…Because of the strength of our digital access, you have people targeting them. As much as we need forces to take care of our borders, we need forces within the country who are tech savvy and conscious of the threats before us and protect the digital world which is a big catalyst for our economy to grow leaps and bounds,” she added.

Pointing out that many developed countries do not have the digital prowess that India has seen in the last 10 years, the finance minister said, “India is growing in the eyes of our competitors, and It is also growing in the eyes of those people who see this kind of growth from an emerging democracy as something which is astonishing. While there can be many well wishers, there are also people who feel that this should not be entertained and can challenge us.”

Stating that India is now becoming “ a hub for defence production”, Sitharaman said that the country has graduated from being the second largest arms importer between 2015-19 to be among the top 25 arms exporters. “Over 100 companies are exporting products like Brahmos missile, Pinaka rocket systems and Dornier aircraft. India has achieved the highest growth in indigenous defence production. In value terms we have reached a record high of ₹1.27 lakh crore in 2023-24. This is a 2.7 fold increase over 2014-15. Defence exports also surged to an all time high reaching ₹21,083 crore in 2023-24 from ₹686 crore 2013-14. So you see a 30 fold increase in defence exports,” she added. Sitharaman also said India has doubled its port capacity in the last decade.

Avanse Financial Services, one of the leading players in the education financing sector, focuses on its strategic plans to expand and diversify its distribution network while strengthening its digital marketing efforts.

It aims to further diversify its product suite to meet the needs of an expanding demographic of borrowers, especially in response to recent macroeconomic trends that have seen a surge in students pursuing undergraduate programs abroad.

In line with its strategy to broaden its borrower base, the company is expanding its portfolio of domestic education loans to include financing options for K-12 students, test preparation courses and skill development programs.

This aligns with the company’s mission to make education financing seamless and affordable for every deserving student. Thus, it serves students aspiring to study abroad and caters to the increasing demand for domestic education financing across the country.

To capture a fast-growing borrower base, the company plans to ramp up its partnerships with educational service providers and leverage technology to create a more seamless borrowing experience.

The company has adopted a hybrid approach, combining physical branches and a third-party distribution network to grow the business. About 16 per cent of the company’s student loan disbursements for international education came from its direct acquisition channel, compared to 15 per cent in FY23.

As part of its broader growth strategy, Avanse Financial Services expanded its product offerings and coverage. The company now serves students at 1,585 universities across 49 countries, demonstrating the global reach of its international education loan portfolio.

Avanse Financial Services will also focus on strengthening its domestic operations through a multi-channel distribution model. Its physical presence spans 19 branches and strategically located sales representative offices across major education hubs in India. The company leverages a vast network of education counsellors, direct selling agents and digital channels to service borrowers in 545 locations nationwide.

The Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IGJ), which is affiliated with the Gem & Jewellery Skill Council of India, has announced expansion plans especially in the GCC market in its 10^th year of operations to equip professionals in the burgeoning jewellery industry.

Founded by Safa Group, a leading brand in the luxury life-style segment, IGJ has so far trained over 12,000 professionals and placed them in global markets. IGJ is emerging as a premier trainer and innovation hub across the country, said K.T.M.A. Salam, chairman of the group.

“As we enter 10th year, our mission is to modernise the jewellery sector, integrate cutting-edge technologies, and address the evolving needs of the global market. IGJ is to foster innovation and equip the next generation of skilled professionals to lead the industry into the future”, he said.

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The company has taken measures to address the skill gap of the gem and jewellery industry in line with the government’s National Education Policy and skilling mission. It had recently signed an MoU with Saudi Gold Precious Metal Association to offer technical training for the youth in Saudi Arabia to equip them for the ever evolving job market of gem and jewellery industry.

The institute is also in the process of launching a jewellery start-up incubator to empower entrepreneurs with resources and guidance and an innovative e-learning platform for jewellery courses.

According to Salam, Safa Gold & Diamonds – part of the group — has chalked out plans to open 100 stores for design and light weight jewellery across the country in the next five years. World over, there has been a shift to design and light weight jewellery among the youth and the company hopes to cash in on the rising trends.

A road map for expansion has also been prepared which would include entering the capital market with an SME IPO in the 2025-26 fiscal year, he added.

R. Bindu, Kerala Minister for Higher Education has inaugurated the first-ever Industry-on-Campus Initiative at Government Polytechnic College in collaboration with Genrobotics, the startup that introduced the World’s First Robotic Scavenger, Bandicoot. The initiative will function as a manufacturing unit for advanced robotic solutions of Genrobotics.

The facility, part of the Kerala Government’s Industry on Campus (IoC) programme, will serve as a hub for manufacturing advanced robotic solutions by Genrobotics, including Bandicoot 2.0, Bandicoot Mobility Plus and other ongoing projects.

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The initiative aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry practices by providing students with training under the guidance of industry experts. Through this programme, students will gain valuable insights into real-world operations and work with advanced technologies, preparing them with the skills needed for careers in high-demand sectors such as robotics, healthcare and renewable energy.

The Minister said that the new initiative offers students greater opportunities for their future while shaping a new generation equipped with advanced technological skills. Genrobotics, known for tackling urban sanitation challenges through robotics, developed Bandicoot to eliminate manual scavenging.

As part of the partnership, selected students from the Electrical, Electronics, and Mechanical departments of Govt Polytechnic College Palakkad, will have the opportunity to gain direct experience at the Genrobotics unit. The students will spend certain hours on the manufacturing unit for their training and for which stipend will be provided to them by Genrobotics.

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With its broader vision, Genrobotics is committed to equipping the younger generation with expertise in robotics, ensuring these technologies are more widely available. The initiative not only supports the students’ development but also aligns with Genrobotics’ mission to contribute to the growth of skilled professionals, while strengthening the local technological ecosystem.

NIT Tiruchirappalli (NITT) is expanding its entrepreneurship development and incubation programme with a dedicated research and innovation hub at a cost of nearly ₹150 crore. It plans to spend ₹100 crore on the multi-storey building and ₹50 crore for equipment, said its director G Aghila.

The institute’s Board of Governors have given the consent for the project. The institute will seek funding from the Union Education Ministry, take loan and assistance from the 48,000 strong alumni, she told newspersons. She addressed the media at the NIT Tiruchirapalli’s Global Alumni Meet 2025 (GAM 2025) to be held in Chennai on January 4.

Aghila said the hub will be spread over 20 acres inside the institute’s campus and help in fostering an ecosystem to promote innovation, research and entrepreneurship.

K Mahalingam, President, RECAL (NIT Tiruchirapalli’s student alumni body) said GAM 2025 will bring together alumni from across the globe to celebrate the shared legacy of REC/NIT Trichy. With a network of 48,000 alumni, including 930 plus CEOs and 1,300 plus founders/co-founders who have shaped industries and driven transformative change across the globe.

Holistic ecosystem

RECAL, which was formed in 1987, addresses the holistic ecosystem of student, institution and alumni, and has raised over ₹10 crore for various initiatives, including scholarships for more than 1,000 students. “Our vision is to raise ₹100 crore by 2030,” he said.

Tata Sons’ Chairman N Chandrasekaran will be the chief guest at GAM 2025 and Tamil Nadu’s IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan will be the Guest of Honour.

Gopi Kalayil, Chief Business Evangelist, AI-Google, Veera Muthuvel, Project Director, Chandrayaan 3 TV Narendran, Chief Executive, Tata Steels, Shyam Srinivasan, Chief Executive, Fed Fina and Vishu Venugopalan, Chief Executive of Guidance Tamil Nadu are some of the major participants in the event, he said.

As many as 11,500 new Chartered Accountants (CAs) have been minted in the recent November edition of CA exams, according to ICAI.

Taken together with 20,446 candidates qualifying in May 2024, the current year at 31,946 has been the best in the post Covid era in terms of number of chartered accountants.

In 2023, about 22,080 candidates qualified as chartered accountants. In 2022, 26,250 candidates cleared the CA final exams. 

Two candidates — Heramb Maheshwari (Hyderabad) and Rishab Ostwal (Tirupati) secured the All India first rank and one each got second and third in the CA final exams in recent November edition. 

Currently, there are 4.25 lakh chartered accountant members in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), which is the world’s largest accounting body.

Meanwhile, ICAI has successfully concluded the 26th Council and 25th Regional Councils Elections. 

32 Central Council Members and 64 Regional Council Members, elected through a preferential voting process . The New Council Term will be effective from Feb 12 next year. 

On the occasion, Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, President ICAI, said, “The election saw participation of approx. 1,64,500 of eligible members voting for shaping the future of the accounting profession in India. I extend my best wishes to the newly elected members of the Council and Regional Councils and look forward to their contributions in taking ICAI to newer heights.”

The Madras High Court on Saturday directed the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged sexual assault of a female student on the Anna University campus here recently.

All three members of the SIT will be women IPS officers. The court also directed the state government to pay the victim a compensation of ₹25 lakh.

A bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice V Lakshminarayan gave the order while hearing a plea for transferring the probe into the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The bench further said the victim’s studies should not be affected, and Anna University should not charge her any fees.

The woman was sexually assaulted in the campus of the premier technical varsity recently, prompting widespread outrage from opposition parties and the civil society. One person has been arrested so far in connection with the incident.

On the occasion of Reliance’s Founder-Chairman Dhirubhai Ambani’s 92nd birth anniversary, Reliance Foundation announced the results of its prestigious undergraduate scholarships for the 2024-25 cohort, an official release said. Building on the legacy of nurturing excellence and empowering future leaders, 5,000 talented undergraduate students across India have been selected. This programme underscores Reliance Foundation’s commitment to nurturing young talent and empowering them to shape India’s future.

Nearly 100,000 first-year undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds across all States and Union Territories of India had applied for the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships. The scholars have been selected on the basis of their Class XII marks, an aptitude test and economic criteria, from diverse backgrounds and academic disciplines across India. They will receive ₹2 lakh financial grants, mentorship, and holistic development opportunities, the release said.

Around 70 per cent of the scholars selected this year are from households with annual income of less than ₹2.50 lakh. 83 per cent of the students have scored more than 90 per cent in Class XII. Out of the selected, 147 are students with disabilities. Selected students hail from 540 districts studying in 1300 institutes across the country. The scholarships cover tuition fees, hostel expenses and other educational costs, enabling the bright students to focus on their studies without financial constraints.

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In addition, they offer comprehensive support, mentoring and professional development. Scholars also have access to workshops, seminars and training programmes to enhance both their technical and soft skills. In December 2022, on Reliance’s Founder-Chairman Shri Dhirubhai Ambani’s 90th birth anniversary Mrs Nita Ambani, Reliance Foundation Founder & Chairperson, announced Reliance Foundation’s additional commitment of 50,000 scholarships over 10 years, making it India’s largest private scholarship. Since then, 5,100 students, 5000 undergraduate and 100 postgraduates, are awarded scholarships every year.

“We are privileged to recognise and support these exceptional young minds. Through the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships, we aim to empower students to reach their full potential and make significant contributions to India’s growth story. The application call received an overwhelming response, with close to one lakh applications after which the 5000 selected scholars have been identified after a competitive process. Education is the key to unlocking opportunities, and we are proud to be a part of the transformative journeys of these students”, said a spokesperson from Reliance Foundation.

The Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarships launched in 1996, and Reliance Foundation Scholarships launched in 2020, have reached over 28,000 youth across India till date, enabling them to pursue higher education, progress to leadership positions and boost their professional growth, the release said.

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The Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) has conferred its Leadership Award for 2024 on Shashidhar Nanjundaiah, Professor and Dean of the School of Digital Media and Communication at Mahindra University in Hyderabad.

“He has been selected for the award for his work in propagating higher education in media, communication, and allied areas like public relations. Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma gave away the award at the PRSI’s 46th All India Public Relations Conference held at Raipur recently,” a press release said.

“His work in higher media education and balancing the interests and aspirations of media education and the profession makes him special,” Ajit Pathak, Chairman of PRSI and a board member of the International Public Relations Association, said.

Before his stint at Mahindra University, Nanjundaiah led and started a few private institutes of media and communication, including Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication (Pune).

The 68-year-old society has a network of 23 active chapters in the country.

Following Australia, two universities from the United Kingdom — Queen’s University Belfast and Coventry University — have filed applications to set up their respective international campuses at GIFT city in Gujarat.

“Earlier this week, we gave approval to Queen’s University Belfast to set up their campus in GIFT City. This will be the third foreign university to set up a base here. They have big plans and have proposed to start with 800 students,” K Rajaraman, Chairperson of International Financial Services Authority (IFSCA), told businessline. 

Based in Northern Ireland, Queen’s is almost 200-year old and is ranked in the top-200 in the world for impact and sustainability. As a member of the Russell Group, Queen’s is one of UK’s 24 leading research-intensive universities. “The Queen’s University Belfast will start by offering post graduate programme. It has a plan to set up its research arm and also may offer undergraduate programmes,” another official said. Of the 24,000-odd students currently studying in Queen’s, over 1000 are from India.

Coventry campus

The second UK university that has proposed to set up a campus in GIFT City is Coventry University which was established in 1843 and has more than 13,000 international students from 160 countries. This University already has branch campuses in Egypt, Poland, Morocco and Kazakhstan. The university had launched its “India Hub” at Delhi in March 2024 which collaborates with the Indian government, academia and industry to tackle global challenges such as climate change, economic development and health issues.

The IFSCA unveiled its International Branch Campus Regulations in October 2022, permitting India-branch campuses of foreign universities to repatriate funds in a relaxed regulatory environment. As per the IFSCA regulations, all transactions undertaken by the universities will occur in freely convertible foreign currency and the infrastructure conditions which are applicable to other India-based universities will not be enforced within GIFT City. These foreign entities have been permitted to offer courses that include research programmes in financial management, fintech, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Two Australian universities have already started their international campus in GIFT City. In January 2024, Deakin University became the first foreign university in India to open an international campus at GIFT City. In July, it welcomed the first batch of 45 students for a post graduate course in business analytics and cyber crime. The students are from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru. In November 2024, University of Wollongong (UOW) became the second Australian University to open a similar campus. UOW is offering courses in Master of Financial Technology.

Foreign university norms

Foreign universities are granted GIFT IFSC registration for a period of five years. This can be renewed for an additional period of five years. Those universities that have secured a position within top-500 in global overall ranking or subject ranking in latest QS World Universities ranking can only apply for setting up a campus in GIFT City. Institutions that are “reputed” in its home jurisdiction are also eligible to set up a campus in GIFT City.

Andhra Pradesh Government is working on taking up recruitment of 3,300 teaching positions in the 17 universities in the State soon.

The scrutiny of applications for Vice-Chancellors (VCs) of the universities is currently under process and filling vacant teaching positions in the universities will be taken up after completion of VC appointments, according to official sources. 

There has been no recruitment in the State universities for over a decade. Even though the previous YSR Congress Government had initiated a new common process of recruitment for all vacant university positions, the process ran into legal tangles on the allegations of irregularities as well resistance from some universities with an argument that a degree of autonomy should be enjoyed by the universities in recruitment for positions in higher education, especially those above assistant professor cadre. 

The new NDA government is also in the process of streamlining university management with an aim to keep universities away from politics. Last week, a noted academician Professor Madhu Murthy, currently a member of the Warangal NEET Board of Governors, was appointed as Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Council.

This also clears the way for the appointment of VCs and other measures to strengthen state universities as the APSCHE Chairman Post was vacant for almost five months following the resignation of as the previous chairman Hema Chandra Reddy after the YSR Congress Party lost mandate in the state assembly elections held in May this year.

Pointing to the “optimism” in the job market in India, Shantanu Rooj, founder and CEO of TeamLease EdTech feels that the upcoming placement season in India’s top B-schools is expected to fetch salary packages that are 15-20 per cent higher than the average salaries the previous year.

“Because of the global situation and political uncertainty, the IT sector which was one of the largest employers, was not hiring for the last six quarters. But our research says that in a quarter or two the industry is going to return to the job market scouting for fresh talent. Like the IT sector, most sectors are growing and willing to hire. Our research also says that we are expecting a hike of 15-20 percent in average salaries that were pocketed by B-school graduates the previous year. Offers from IT, Consulting. E-commerce and Startups will be among the biggest employers for B-school graduates,” says Rooj during an interaction with businessline 

• Read:Robust final placements at top B-schools allay fears of slowdown in hiring

According to him, the average salary packages in the top IIMs in the country range between ₹30-35 lakhs. “In the newer IIMs like IIM-Ranchi, IIM-Raipur, IIM-Bodh Gaya or IIM-Udaipur, the average salaries stand far lower at ₹15-20 lakhs. The good quality management colleges like IMT Ghaziabad or FMS Delhi or XLRI Jamshedpur or MDI in Gurgaon attract a good number of employers offering good pay packages. For instance FMS Delhi this highest package was Rs one crore-plus and their average around is ₹40 lakhs.” he added. The current job market shows high demand for roles in digital marketing, product management, business analytics, and consulting. Positions such as Data Analysts, product managers, digital marketing specialists and management consultants are sought after. 

Earlier this month, Professor Vishwanath Pingali, Chairperson (Placements), IIMA, had told businessline that the institute was “cautiously optimistic” about the upcoming placement season as some of the recruiters at IIMA were reassessing their workforce requirements, which were lower than what the firms had predicted at the beginning of the year.

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Rooj from TeamLease EduTech felt that some sectors, like FMCG, have slowed down. “In the FMCG sector, the urban consumption story has slowed down. However, since the last few quarters there has been talks about rural consumption going up and this will drive a lot of growth in the FMCG sector. This growth will in turn drive hiring for fresh talent from B-schools,” he said, adding that the third-quarter results of Indian companies will usher in “bullishness” in the Indian job market. 

The Andhra Pradesh government and EdTech company PhysicsWallah have signed an agreement to set up a University of Innovation (UoI) at an investment of up to ₹1,000 crore.

The UoI is set to emerge as the first institute of eminence in the state and aligns with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s aim to provide the state’s youth with education in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies.

“We are committed to investing up to ₹1,000 crores by GSV Ventures – US and other investors, the purpose is to create an institution that combines academic learning with industry relevance. The UoI will help learners with the skills they might need in a constantly evolving job market, in an attempt to foster entrepreneurship and innovation,” said PhysicsWallah founder and chief executive Alakh Pandey in a press release on Friday.

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The UoI will work towards blending academic excellence, innovation, and research, focusing on addressing key challenges in education and employability.

Following a hub and spoke model, the varsity will serve as a central hub with satellite centres across the southern state serving as spokes.

Further, in a bid to keep the curriculum aligned with the market, PhysicsWallah is collaborating with industry partners like Amazon Web Services India Pvt Ltd to provide industry-relevant education.

IT Minister Nara Lokesh added that the partnership with the EdTech company aims at advancing innovation and equipping Andhra Pradesh’s youth with skills which align with industry demands and standards.

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The Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) and edtech major Physics Wallah (PW), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the University of Innovation (UoI).

The University of Innovation will work towards blending academic excellence, innovation and research. Its focus is to address key challenges in education and employability.

Hub-and-spoke model

The initiative will follow a hub-and-spoke model, with the university serving as the central hub and satellite centres across Andhra Pradesh acting as spokes. This approach is an attempt to provide students from diverse backgrounds and regions access to contemporary, hybrid education that combines online and in-person learning experiences.

Alakh Pandey, Founder & CEO, PW said, “We are committed to invest up to ₹1,000 crore by GSV Ventures – US and other investors, the purpose is to create an institution that combines academic learning with industry relevance. The UoI will help learners with the skills they might need in a constantly evolving job market, in an attempt to foster entrepreneurship and innovation.”

The university will also attempt to leverage technology, including AI-driven tools and adaptive learning platforms, to ensure personalised learning experiences for all students. PW is also collaborating with industry partners like Amazon Web Services (AWS) India to provide industry relevant education.

Founded in 2020 by Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari, Physics Wallah currently operates offline and hybrid centres in more than 105 cities in India. It also claims to offer free education to over 4.6 crore students through its 112 YouTube channels in five vernacular languages.

The edtech start-up has now set its eyes on listing on the stock exchanges next year. It recently raised $210 million in its Series B round led by Hornbill Capital at a post-money valuation of $2.8 bn.

Student Tribe, an online student community with 6.50 lakh members in eight cities, has partnered with Marut Drones to expose students to opportunities in drones and drone technology.

“It’s a comprehensive ecosystem designed to transform how students learn, engage, and build careers in emerging technological fields,” Charan Lakkaraju, Founder & CEO of Student Tribe, said.

The collaboration would offer structured learning beyond traditional academic curricula, besides providing networking opportunities with industry experts.

The duo would organise an annual Drone Fest where students can interact with technology and showcase their potential.

Marut Drones, a DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO), will offer a five-day Drone Pilot Training (RPC) workshop. The workshop will cover flight simulator training and drone flying practice, hands-on field experience, solo field flying tests, and DGCA certification upon successful completion.

Mahindra University has launched School of Hospitality Management, offering a new B.Sc. (Hons.) in Culinary and Hospitality Management. The four-year programme will commence in the next few weeks with 30 seats, followed by a regular session in August 2025 with 60 seats.

The programme would also focus on emerging areas like culinary innovation and technology-driven customer experiences.

“With the hospitality sector expected to generate significant employment opportunities, this new school marks a significant development in hospitality education in the country,” Yajulu Medury, Vice-Chancellor of Mahindra University said.

He said the university would invest ₹70 crore to build infrastructure, including kitchens, to equip the students with hands-on skills.

The university, which is promoted by the Mahindra group, would use the network of Mahindra Holidays to train the students in various aspects of hospitality management.

The School boasts partnerships with renowned institutions like Virginia Tech and Conrad N. Hilton College.

Chef K. Thirugnanasambantham, Dean of the new school, said students would be exposed to newer technologies such as AI which would enhance the customer experience. 

The school charges a fee of ₹4 lakh year for the course.

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is ranked 401st in the ‘QS Sustainability Rankings 2025’ among 1,751 institutions ranked globally. In the previous ranking, MAHE was placed at 576th.

MAHE is ranked 74th out of 661 Asian colleges, up from 139th the previous year. MAHE has moved up from 13th place to ninth place out of 78 institutions in India, securing its place among the top 10 universities in the nation. MAHE is currently India’s second-ranked private institution in the ‘QS Sustainability Rankings 2025’.

Quoting Lt Gen MD Venkatesh, Vice-Chancellor of MAHE, a media statement said: “This recognition is a testament to MAHE’s unwavering dedication to integrating sustainable practices into our academic programmes, research initiatives, and institutional operations. Our focus on addressing global challenges through education and innovation has been the driving force behind this success. It is heartening to see our efforts acknowledged on such a prestigious platform, and I extend my gratitude to every member of the MAHE community for their contributions.”

The QS Sustainability Rankings assess institutions on a wide range of sustainability metrics, including environmental impact, social responsibility, research excellence, and the integration of sustainable practices across operations.

One of the key factors contributing to this success is MAHE’s commitment to research that addresses pressing global issues, it said, adding, MAHE has invested significantly in interdisciplinary research centres focused on areas such as renewable energy, climate change, healthcare innovation, and sustainable urban development.

MAHE has implemented green campus initiatives, including solar energy installations, waste management systems, water conservation efforts, and sustainable building practices. These measures have reduced the university’s environmental footprint, it said.

MAHE aims to scale up its research efforts, engage more actively with global sustainability networks, and empower its students to become change-makers in their respective fields, the statement added.

–EOM–

Udhayanidhi Stalin, the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, inaugurated the 45,000 sq. ft. MCC-MRF Innovation Park on the Madras Christian College (MCC) campus. This facility was established with ₹30 crore in funding from the Chennai-based MRF Foundation.

The MCC-MRF Innovation Park is an initiative designed to promote innovative research, support start-up ventures, and nurture emerging talent. Its mission is to foster creativity, enable ground breaking ideas, and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators.

The Park will focus on key areas such as business analytics, nanomaterials, big data analytics, computational informatics, and healthcare and digital solutions.

During the inauguration, Udhayanidhi Stalin highlighted Tamil Nadu’s ambitious goal of supporting over 5,000 start-ups in the coming years. “I am confident that this innovation park will contribute to the creation of hundreds of start-up companies, boosting Tamil Nadu’s economy and elevating India’s economy to the next level,” he said.

First innovation centre

The Deputy Chief Minister also lauded the initiative, noting that it is the first innovation centre in the country to be set up at an arts and science college, spanning an impressive 45,000 sq. ft.

The Innovation Park will also feature an amphitheatre, pavilions, and multi-purpose spaces for hosting cultural events, seminars, and workshops. It will include co-working spaces to encourage collaboration among innovators and entrepreneurs, fostering creativity and cultural exchange.

K M Mammen, Chairman of the MCC Association & Board of Directors and Chairman of MRF Limited, stated that the collaboration between MCC and MRF as a strong example of how partnerships between institutions can create lasting opportunities. “The MCC-MRF Innovation Park represents a unique chance to nurture future leaders and innovators by offering access to advanced resources, expert mentorship, and a platform to transform ideas into impactful solutions,” he said.

T M Anbarasan, Tamil Nadu Minister for MSMEs, Arun Mammen, Vice Chairman of MRF and P Wilson, Principal & Secretary of the MCC Association, among others were also present at the inauguration.

Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in collaboration with Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) has launched the Masters in Financial and Economic Crimes for working professionals.

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This programme offers a comprehensive curriculum that equips participants with advanced knowledge and practical skills to tackle financial crimes, stated an official release on Thursday. It provides a global perspective on legal frameworks and emerging technologies, enhancing investigative and analytical capabilities.

With a blended learning approach and real-world exposure, graduates are prepared for leadership roles in law enforcement, regulatory bodies, and the financial sector. 

The programme also offers valuable networking opportunities and access to an esteemed alumni community, empowering professionals to safeguard economic stability and integrity, the release added.

Campus placements are showing positive momentum at engineering colleges this year, with top information technology service providers and Global Capability Centres (GCCs) vying with each other to hire freshers. Colleges report robust job offers this year, up almost 50-60 per cent at the same time last year.

businessline reported in November that top four IT firms recorded positive net hiring for the first time in two years as employee utilisation rises and new projects pick up. The same continues in December as the placement drive picks up pace.

At the Vellore Institute of Technology, 10,458 offers were made this year by 409 companies; GCCs accounted for half of them. Still, 6,000 students are yet to be placed. Comparatively, 8,000 offers were made in 2023, said a source.

For instance, TCS has offered 3,912 offers this year compared to 1,000 last year; Cognizant (850); Infosys (650) and MindTree (540) as against 200 to 300 last year.

Some of the top multinationals and GCCs who offered jobs at VIT included Microsoft, Amazon, PWC, Deloitte, KPMG, Bank of America and HSBC, the source said. Nearly 50 per cent of hiring was from GCCs, the source said.

At SASTRA University in Thanjavur, 1,860 offers were made from around 100 recruiters. Over 50 recruiters have agreed to visit the campus in the next 1-2 months, said a source. Recruiters are very cautious in their selection and are keen to select the best. However, the bulk recruiters are not giving offers as they did before Covid. “We are very positive and confident that in the even semester (January-June) we will get a good number of offers and will reach our annual target as usual,” the source said.

A source at Anna University said the placement numbers are identical to last year. The number of students getting more than ₹20 lakh salary has increased significantly. “We have requested service industries to have a second round of selection preferably in March to recruit all our students,” the source said.

Sriram Rajagopal, co-founder, Diamondpick, a recruitment solutions provider, said placements have been better than last year in engineering campuses. “Most IT services companies have maxed out on utilisation and are hiring for attrition backfill and new growth. IT spending is showing signs of improvement,” he said.

Monica Jamwal Managing Director, Talent Solutions, ANSR, said that GCCs, specifically mature ones, plan to hire 50% more freshers compared to last year across functions. “GCCs are extending up to 30% higher salary offers than homegrown IT services firms,” she added. As per ANSR Research, 5-10 per cent of GCC hiring each year comes from college campuses. 

According to Rajesh Kumar, co-founder & CEO, Kalvium, an education and skilling platform, the quantum of job offers seen currently were reached only in February/March last year as GCCs and product companies have offered more jobs and IT services hiring too has picked up. “GCCs are offering both level-1 jobs (basic profile that freshers would do in services firms) and also higher-level jobs that involve deeper algorithmic problem-solving skills,” he added.

Chennai-based Veranda Learning Solutions, an end-to-end solutions provider in the education space, will raise ₹250 crore through a preferential issue. The funds raised will be directed toward acquisitions, deferred consideration payouts, and growing its existing business. This preferential raise is part of the broader fundraising plan to be completed this financial year.

The company announced its plan to acquire a 51 per cent stake in BB Publications Pvt Ltd (BB Virtuals) for ₹126 crore and a 65 per cent stake in Navkar Digital Institute Pvt Ltd for ₹46 Crores. According to a release, these acquisitions will strengthen Veranda’s CA/CMA coaching offerings and strengthen its position as a leader in commerce education throughout India.

This fundraising equips Veranda with a capital base to drive the next phase of growth and demonstrates investors’ confidence in the vision and our potential for growth. The company is on track to close all acquisitions this financial year, and no further equity dilution in Veranda Learning is expected beyond this financial year, said Kalpathi S Suresh, executive director and chairman of Veranda Learning.

Veranda Learning’s share price closed at ₹271.50 on Wednesday, up ₹17, or 6.68 per cent.

The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) and the Management Training Institute (MTI) of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), has signed an MoU to foster collaboration in academic activities and human resource development interventions.

The MoU was signed by Sanjay Dhar, Chief General Manager, MTI-SAIL, and Julius George, Head (Admin & HR), IIM Kozhikode. The partnership will enable both institutions to leverage their expertise for capacity-building, knowledge sharing, and skill enhancement, said a press release.

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Key areas of collaboration include organizing long and short-duration training programmes for SAIL executives; Joint research, case studies, conferences, and consultancy activities; certification programmes and customized learning solutions; Faculty exchange and academic support for mutual growth.

The MoU also envisions exploring emerging opportunities, projects, and joint initiatives that capitalize on the strengths of both organizations.

Nischal’s Smart Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (nischals) has unveiled two products – an AI-powered Augmented Reality (AR) app for students in grades 6 to 12, and Virtual Reality-powered 3D E-Books designed for primary students in grades 1 to 5.

Nischal’s Lens uses AI and AR to turn traditional learning materials into interactive tools, offering over 35,000 videos and more than 28,000 3D animations and simulations. The app integrates the Emi Knowledge Graph, providing an interdisciplinary learning experience. 

The VR-powered 3D E-Books offer a strong academic foundation for primary students, featuring over 1,000 simulations, over 150 hours of 3D animated videos, and over 100 IQ development games, according to Nischal Narayanam, Founder of Nischal’s Smart Learning Solutions, said.

The company’s products are used in over 5,000 schools, impacting more than 1 million students globally. 

“Developed after five years of research, Nischal’s Lens serves as a personal tutor in the palm of every student’s hand, offering a vast library of content, leveraging cutting-edge technology, and seamlessly integrating them with school curricula,” Nischal said.’

• Also read: 70% of Indian workers seek upskilling, highlighting urgency to reskill

The status of the Institution of Eminence (IoE) and the execution of programmes under the initiative has made a qualitative difference to the University of Hyderabad (UoH), according to its Vice Chancellor, Prof B J Rao. 

“We have been implementing various programmes under the IoE for more than three years and it is a project where spending is entirely goal oriented and results oriented,’‘ Rao told businessline. 

The Union Government had accorded IoE status to UoH in September 2019, in recognition of its standing, ability and potential to move into the league of the world’s best institutions.

The IoE tagline ‘national needs, global standards’ is to be geared towards academic, financial and administrative support for all its stakeholders, faculty, students and non-teaching staff. As part of Its UoH has earmarked special funds for implementing various initiatives. 

“The university views IoE as a good opportunity in its history to leverage its existing reputation, practices and services to catapult itself into the best and highest leagues globally. We have spent ₹450 crore so far on achieving IoE goals,’‘ the Vice Chancellor said. 

• Also read: Nischal’s launched AR, VR-based content for students

The objectives of UoH in implementing IoE include sprucing up of infrastructure, securing high-end equipment for various laboratories of different departments, building new infrastructure and encouraging research projects of the faculty by extending funds. 

“Most of our infrastructure and lab equipment were almost 50 years-old. Similarly, there is a need to encourage research projects of the faculty and their exposure to create an ecosystem of innovation, entrepreneurship and translational research among the students and faculty members through start-ups and public-private partnerships,’‘ Rao said. 

A substantial part of IoE funds of ₹450 crore spent so far went into creation of new infrastructure including hostel, upgrading of equipment and research support.

“More than 200 faculty have been benefited so far by way of IoE research funding so far. We are also providing ₹1 lakh travel assistance to attend seminars and conferences abroad if abstracts/research papers are accepted in foreign countries,’‘ the Vice-Chancellor said. UoH has also lined up renovation of existing student hostels and employee quarters apart from adding new ones.

The initiative is helping in facilitating exposure of UoH faculty to their international counterparts, Rao said adding that the focus was also on supporting students and research scholars from the socially-disadvantageous sections by extending non-NET fellowships.

“We have touched almost all stakeholders of the university with IoE support and are now drawing up plans for the non-teaching staff.

On the impact of the IoE status and initiatives being taken, Rao said: “There has been visible positive impact already. I also believe that there will be greater impact in the long term even after I leave the system.’‘

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After the cabinet approved the opening of 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that this decision will benefit a large number of students and create many employment opportunities.

Talking to social media X, PM Modi wrote, “Our government has taken another big decision to make school education as accessible as possible. Under this, 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas will be opened across the country. While this step will benefit a large number of students, it will also create many new employment opportunities.”

On Friday, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by PM Modi approved the opening of 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) under the Civil/Defence sector across the country.

It also decided to expand KV Shivamogga in Karnataka to facilitate increased number of Central Government employees by adding two additional Sections in all the classes under the Kendriya Vidyalaya Scheme.

The total estimated requirement of funds for the establishment of 85 new KVs and expansion of 01 existing nearby KV is ₹5872.08 crore (approx.) spread over a period of eight years from 2025-26. This includes a capital expenditure component of ₹2862.71 crore (approx.) and operational expenditure of ₹3009.37 crore (approx.), according to an official release.

As on date, there are 1256 functional KVs, including 03 abroad viz. Moscow, Kathmandu and Tehran and a total number of 13.56 lakh (approx.) students are studying in these KVs.

The administrative structure for implementing the project will require creation of posts at par with the norms fixed by the Sangathan for running of one full-fledged KV with a capacity of approximately 960 students. Hence, 960 X 86 = 82560 students would benefit.

As per norms in vogue, a full-fledged Kendriya Vidyalaya provides employment to 63 persons and accordingly, approval of 85 new KVs and the expansion of one existing nearby KV, which will add 33 new posts, a total of 5,388 direct permanent employment opportunities will be created.

Construction and allied activities associated with augmentation of various facilities in all KVs are likely to generate employment opportunities for many skilled and unskilled workers.

Unacademy CEO and co-founder Gaurav Munjal said the edtech company is not looking for ‘any sale or M&A’ reaffirming its commitment to long-term growth.

“We are not doing any Sale or M&A. Ignore the rumors,” Munjal said in his LinkedIn post. This statement comes amid reports of Unacademy being in advanced discussions with Allen Career Institute for a potential $800 million deal.

He said that 2024 will be the company’s best year in terms of growth in the offline business and overall unit economics.

He outlined that the company’s offline test preparation segment saw 30 per cent growth, accompanied by substantial improvements in unit economics.

While the online test preparation business experienced degrowth, the company successfully enhanced its unit economics, signalling a shift toward operational efficiency, he noted.

Unacademy’s group-level cash burn has decreased by 50%, a critical step in aligning the business towards profitability.

The company reported healthy cash reserves of $170 million, with no debt and a runway exceeding four years, positioning it strongly in the competitive edtech market.

Munjal also highlighted growth in its other business arms. Graphy, a creator-focused platform, achieved a 40 per cent increase in business while remaining profitable. Additionally, Airlearn, a recently launched US-based venture, has surpassed an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $400,000 within just a few months of its launch.

Founded in 2015 by Gaurav Munjal, Hemesh Singh and Roman Saini, Unacademy started as an online test preparation platform. Since then, it has expanded to offline or hybrid learning. The company laid off 250 employees earlier this year as part of a restructuring exercise to become profitable.

Indian students and parents are growing increasingly anxious about their future prospects in the US, amidst reports of a depressed job market and scarce internship opportunities. The impending presidency of Donald Trump, known for his tough stance on immigration, has further compounded their concerns. Representatives from top US universities, however, claim that there is no dearth of job opportunities for Indian students.

Chell A Roberts, Dean of Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering at the University of San Diego, expressed optimism about job prospects for Indian students in the US during the Trump administration.

His comments came as a respite for Indian students and parents , amidst reports of a depressed job market and scarce internship opportunities.

He referenced Trump’s campaign promise to offer green cards to international students graduating with tech degrees from American universities. He further suggested that the Trump administration had been receptive to India, citing the appointment of several Indian-Americans to positions of power. He concluded that, Indian students would likely continue to find opportunities in the US.

Kathryn Graddy, Dean and a Professor in economics at the Brandeis International Business School, seconded Chell’s views. She acknowledged concerns about the administration’s focus on illegal immigration but believed that the need for qualified workers would outweigh potential negative implications for Indian students.

They are here, along with other representatives from several US universities, to take part in the second edition of GradRight’s flagship event, ShiftED 2024. Over 4,000 students, 8 financial partners, 24 leading foreign universities, and industry leaders are taking part in the two-day event.

Replying to a question on concerns about the reported poor job openings in the US, Claire Almand – Associate Director of Marketing of education financing firm MPower, said that there was a distinction between undergraduate and graduate students. While acknowledging the challenges faced by undergraduate students, she said that graduate students, particularly those pursuing advanced degrees, continued to find success in the US job market.

Stating that the US economy is performing well, Kathryn said that Indian students often excel in these areas, making them highly sought-after in the job market. “Indian students work hard. We have a 97 per cent placement rate for Indian students in the US, and 100 per cent of their graduates secure jobs,” she said. 

She does not anticipate this positive trend changing, emphasising the continued need for technically skilled professionals in areas like finance, business analytics, and AI. 

There are not enough US students pursuing advanced degrees in these fields, creating significant opportunities for international students. 

Chell pointed out that the job market for technical professionals is strong,” despite fluctuations in the tech sector. “The placement rate for engineering students is 97 per cent. Streams like cybersecurity are in high demand, noting that students with a good GPA are quickly hired. 

“Students who are highly skilled and attend reputable institutions have excellent chances of securing employment,” he said.

IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation is collaborating with Cambtech Training and Placement firm to offer certification programs in Supply Chain and Logistics Sector.

The courses are designed to provide students with a simulated environment (Virtual Office), giving them a real-life simulation of the actual work environment throughout the courses. An Artificial Intelligence platform will provide the students with a virtual corporate environment for carrying out various financial transactions in real time.

The First Batch of this course will commence on 1st January 2025. The Last Date to register for this batch is 25th December 2024. Interested candidates can register through the following link – https://digitalskills.iitmpravartak.org.in/courses.php

The Certified Programmes will be offered in Supply chain management, Chartering Practice, Port and Terminal management and International Liners Trade. A certificate will be issued by Cambtech and the knowledge partner IITM Pravartak on the completion of the course. Cambtech Training and Placement is a premier group in skilling in the engineering industry, says a release.

Mangala Sunder, Founder, Digital Skills Academy – IITM Pravartak, said the objective of these courses is to provide graduate students from Indian academic institutions and employees in multiple industrial sectors, with the necessary skills towards employment or reskilling in the relevant sectors and make them industry and job-ready.

In addition, the trainers will cover multiple areas through large problem sets and hands-on training, which will also help the students to face competitive examinations in the Supply chain and Logistics sector well and with confidence.

Vaishnavi B Iyer, Founder and CEO, Cambtech, said, upskilling is a need of the hour for every aspiring and ambitious candidate to get constructive placement in the fields of Supply Chain and Logistics. The virtual learning platform designed by Cambtech will provide a unique and exclusive training environment for the same through various modes.”

Recognising the growing enterprise interest in AI upskilling, Vinay Pradhan, Country Manager and Senior Director for Udemy in India & South Asia, and Caoimhe Carlos, Vice President of Global Customer Success at Udemy, discussed India’s approach to AI skilling, the technology’s role in bridging the country’s skill gap, and Udemy’s future plans for the Indian market in a conversation with businessline.

The Andhra Pradesh Forest Department (APFD), Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation Limited (APFDC) and Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business (ISB) entered into a strategic collaboration for forest management and community livelihoods in Andhra Pradesh.

A tri-party MoU, which was as part of the collaboration, aims to create a comprehensive Resource Inventory of Seasonal Forest Produces (SFPs) using advanced digital and geospatial technologies. 

“With this MoU, we aim to address challenges in realising this untapped potential with the help of globally recognised institutions such as the Indian School of Business. This collaboration provides us with a new opportunity to develop a strong, scalable model that stands to gain national and international recognition”, Chiranjiv Choudhary, Head of Forest Force, Andhra Pradesh Forest Department said in a release.

According to Ashwini Chhatre, Associate Professor and Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB, there is a need to formalise the forest economy as it is informal and unorganised. “The main challenge is the invisibility of the forest economy, which makes it difficult to invest or ensure its sustainability. With our collaboration with the forest department, we can formalise these transactions leading to livelihoods, creating visibility, and tracking progress on the ground and step in as the need arises.”

“The scope of this initiative is broad, and we are certain that this collaboration will not only benefit our forest communities but also promote the culture of scientific forest management,’‘ Rajendra Prasad Khajuria, VC & MD, Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation Limited (AP FDC), said.

Dr Rajendra Singh, popularly known as the “Waterman of India,’ has joined Anant National University in Ahmedabad as the Professor of Practice in Community Leadership in Environmental Design.

At Anant, Dr Singh will mentor students through real-world, on-ground projects that foster community engagement and problem-solving skills.

He will lead live-action projects, ensuring that learning extends beyond textbooks. His extensive experience will help Anant enhance the pedagogy through insightful critiques, creating an impactful learning environment, stated an official release, Saturday.

Dr Anunaya Chaubey, Provost, Anant National University, also announced the launch of the Anant Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices, which will be chaired by Dr Singh.

This centre will take a scientific and organised approach to mapping India’s diverse indigenous knowledge systems, including both current practices and those at risk of extinction, from Bhavan Nirman and agriculture practices to water conservation, the release added.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), a Union Agriculture Ministry’s arm responsible for agricultural research and education, has cautioned States against the unbridled establishment of new agricultural colleges and universities.

In a letter to Chief Secretaries of States, Himanshu Pathak, Director-General of ICAR, said this trend could impact the country’s agricultural education quality. This proliferation of institutions has led to concerns regarding inadequate infrastructure and insufficient numbers of qualified and experienced faculty.

• Also read: Kerala to launch insurance scheme to cover entire cattle population

Pathak said the National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARS), which comprises ICAR and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), played a major role in making India a food surplus nation and improving the quality of agricultural higher education.

“Recently, it has been noticed that the performance of SAUs is affected by the proliferation of universities, including those carved out from the existing universities. These universities were set up without adequate planning, infrastructure, teachers, and meagre allocation of resources,” he said.

Stating that ICAR is the apex body for agricultural education, research, and extension in the country, he asked the States to follow ICAR’s recommendations and obtain ICAR’s permission before granting approvals for the establishment of new agricultural universities or colleges.

• Also read:Leading automakers set to launch 100% ethanol vehicles: Gadkari

This consultation with ICAR is deemed essential to ensure the new institutions meet the required standards for providing quality agricultural education in terms of infrastructure, faculty, and other necessary resources.

He asked the Chief Secretaries of respective States to take the necessary steps to follow the ICAR directive.

The number of new recruiters participating in the Summer Placement process for the MBA Class of 2026 in the Post Graduate Programme in Management at IIM Ahmedabad (IIMA) has increased more than fourfold this year.

“This year, there were 51 new recruiters compared to 12 last year,” stated an official release from IIMA on Monday evening regarding the placement process held on November 12, 15, and 18. The new recruiters included BNP Paribas, Cranmore Partners Limited, DE Shaw India, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bank AG, EY Parthenon – Singapore, HSBC (Hong Kong), IIFL Securities (Investment Banking), Pkeday Advisors, Roland Berger, Simon Kucher, UBS, Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited, Bharti Enterprises, Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd, and Fast Retailing Japan, among others.

“Given the unique market conditions, the Placement Committee onboarded several new recruiters that the students preferred, which is reflected by the significant rise in applications that the new recruiters had,” IIMA stated. Other new recruiters that attended the Summer Placement process earlier this month included GMR Group, Lodha Ventures, Michelin India Private Limited, Sony Pictures Networks, Trampoline, United Breweries (Heineken Group), Welspun Living, Zydus Wellness, Axis Bank, Black Brix, Boult Audio, Consultadd Services Private Limited, Forbes Marshall, and others.

A total of 159 firms posted job descriptions (JDs), with 125 of them making offers for 147 roles across three different clusters. Professor Viswanath Pingali, Chairperson of Placements at IIM Ahmedabad, stated, “This year, we completed the summer placement process in hybrid mode, during which all the students were placed with offers across multiple sectors and industries. This year once again saw an increase in the participation of firms and the variety of job roles as compared to the previous years. This indicates that the demand for high-quality talent continues to grow and demonstrates the strength of relationships we have built with our recruiters over the decades. At IIMA, we strive to develop future leaders for enterprises and will continue to supply the industry with the country’s most exceptional talent pool of future managers. With our consistent record of producing high achievers, we continued to attract regular as well as new recruiters further strengthening our recruiter pool.”

This year, five students opted out of the placement process to work on their own ventures under the IIMAvericks Fellowship. During the summer placement process, newer-age firms continued to tap into IIMA for their growing talent needs, with exciting start-ups in the financial technology space, such as Zaggle and Progcap, participating. Other prominent start-ups, like Trampoline Store and Boult Audio, also extended two offers each across the cluster process.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to promote commerce-based skill courses for students across the country.

The partnership aims to foster cooperation between ICAI and CBSE to advance commerce-oriented skills, specifically in the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector. 

The MoU was signed by the Committee on Career Counselling in ICAI with the Department of Skill Education, CBSE.

The prime focus will be enhancing students’ skills and employability through specialised courses aligned with industry requirements.

ICAI will provide expert inputs on course content, syllabus development, study materials, training modules, and career guidance. 

The CA Institute will also conduct enrichment activities and participate in workshops and training sessions organised by CBSE, emphasising sensitising educators and students about career opportunities in accountancy and related fields.

Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, President, ICAI, said, “The signing of this MoU with the CBSEis a significant step towards enhancing the skill development ecosystem for students across the country. Through this collaboration, ICAI aims to promote commerce-based skill courses and ensure that students are equipped with relevant, industry-aligned competencies.”

This partnership reflects ICAI’s commitment to bridging the gap between academic learning and professional requirements, he said, adding that CA Institute is confident that it will open new avenues for students to pursue rewarding careers in accountancy and finance.

As part of this collaboration, ICAI and CBSE will jointly conduct awareness programs targeting school principals, teachers, and management teams of CBSE-affiliated schools across India. 

The programs will focus on promoting commerce-based skill courses under the BFSI sector and highlight their importance for students’ career development. Additionally, CBSE will organise capacity-building initiatives for teachers of commerce-related subjects to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to teach these courses effectively.

The CA Institute actively engages in strategic collaborations with educational institutions . To date, it has entered into 85 MoUs with a diverse range of universities, colleges, and educational organisations. 

These partnerships are designed to foster academic excellence, research innovation, and knowledge exchange, ultimately contributing to developing a highly skilled and educated workforce.

ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, has been assessed and accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for its spices quality and organic manure testing laboratories.

IISR said in a release that the recognition is a stepping-stone for quality testing of spices and organic manures as NABL certification is recognized globally, making it more accurate and reliable that meets stringent standards. The streamlined processes reduce turnaround time and also certify ICAR-IISRs commitment to quality.

• Also read: Foxconn tells India recruiters: Nix marital status in iPhone job ads

In the present-day sustainable farming system goals, quality of the organic manure used is a major factor. The quality parameters moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon content, its nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents essentially decide the quality of the organic manures.

With this accreditation, IISR is positioned to support the spice processing industry to provide the essential testing services with respect to the quality parameters like piperine, oleoresin, curcumin, moisture content etc to adhere to regulatory requirements and enhance consumer confidence in spices available in the market. This will help go a long way in ensuring the quality and purity of spices, from a laboratory that meets rigorous standards for quality and competence.

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There are also plans to pursue NABL accreditation for additional parameters/scope for holistic coverage of regulatory requirements of spices samples.

The scientists associated with the accreditation process are V.Srinivasan,. Shamsudheen M,. Sivaranjani R and technical assistants, Karthika N and Sajina O for sample analysis.

The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) has refuted accusations alleging there was caste discrimination.

The institute in its official statement said, “The Institute has long prioritised nurturing an inclusive work environment, one that promotes the growth and development of all our stakeholders who come from diverse backgrounds, including SC/ST and OBC communities.”

Furthermore, it denied claims of caste discrimination in recruitment, and said, “Since 2019, over 10 new faculty members from reserved categories (SC/ST/OBC) have joined the institute.”

Earlier on Wednesday, IIMB was accused of caste discrimination, with protesting associations alleging that the institution has specifically targeted faculty members who raised concerns about diversity and inclusion on campus, according to a joint statement issued by the groups.

Protestors sought full implementation of reservation policies at the institute, with specific reference to the lack of roster maintenance.

Additionally, they demanded adherence to constitutional mandates for reservation in admission, recruitment, and promotion for students, faculty, and staff belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).

Other key demands included the establishment of dedicated grievance redressal cells for SC, ST, and OBC communities, and commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all stakeholders at IIM-B.

The demonstration was organised by the All-India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA), Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Association of Engineers (BANAE), and the OBC Federation of India at Freedom Park on November 20. The organisations further announced plans to escalate their concerns to the President of India, the Prime Minister, and the Union Education Minister.

• Also read: IIM Bangalore introduces online BBA programme

The Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with sentra.world, a Bangalore-based sustainability startup specializing in decarbonizing industrial manufacturing, to carry out research that is aimed at decarbonizing the iron and steel industry of the country.

According to a media statement, the collaboration focuses on the application of biochar—an environmentally friendly alternative to coal—within the steel manufacturing process. 

This research will involve characterizing biomass from over 10 Indian states and developing conversion processes to produce high-quality biochar suitable for all steel applications like coke making, sintering, sponge iron production etc.

• Also read: IIM-B says no discrimination even as protestors allege caste discrimination

This research targets the utilization of approximately 720 tonnes of surplus biomass available across the country, including agricultural residues such as parali (rice husk), forest residues like bamboo, agri-processing waste such as sugarcane bagasse, and invasive species like babool. The initiative aims to curb stubble burning, a major contributor to air pollution, while providing farmers with an additional income stream by monetizing agricultural waste.

With the Indian steel sector contributing 8-12 per cent of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions, the adoption of biochar could reduce emissions by up to 40%. 

“This innovative industry collaboration is pivotal for advancing towards Amrit Kaal as envisioned by our Hon’ble Prime Minister and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070,” said Professor Sagar Pal, Dean R&D, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, in the statement. 

• Also read: ISB sets up Centre of Excellence for Aerial and Water Robotics jontly with IIIT-Delhi, DRIIV

“With over 50 customers actively seeking avenues for carbon footprint reduction, this partnership marks a significant milestone in decarbonizing hard to abate sectors in thecountry” , said Vikas Upadhyay, Co-founder of sentra.world.

The outcomes of this research are expected to drive product standardization, improve sustainability, and set a global benchmark for innovation in the steel industry. 

IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation is partnering with Codenatives, a US-based IT company, to offer Salesforce B2C Commerce Developer training program for professionals. It will be in online mode and have a duration of 70 hours of instructor-led sessions spread across eight weeks besides another 130 hours of hands-on practice, offering a comprehensive learning experience, says a release.

• Also read: Adani group denies US authorities allegations of bribery

E-commerce continues to evolve rapidly, driven by advancements in technology and SaaS platforms like Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC). Market analysts predict global e-commerce sales will reach $7.96 trillion by 2027, reflecting an annual growth rate of 7.6 per cent, underscoring the demand for skilled SFCC developers.

Registrations will commence on Friday, the release said.`

Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud Training covers topics like sandbox setup, SFRA introduction, and cartridge configuration, the release said.

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Codenatives is a company based in Cupertino, California, specializing in customer-centric, technology-based solution services. With a global network of expert consultants, Codenatives delivers impactful solutions tailored to clients’ unique needs. Its India division also provides expert consultation on e-commerce platform selection, legacy system migration, and custom platform development, ensuring businesses choose the best solutions for their needs, the release said.

Tata Technologies Limited has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Government of Tripura’s Department of Industries & Commerce to upgrade 19 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the state. The deal, valued at ₹95.65 crores excluding GST, was signed on November 20, 2024.

The shares of Tata Technologies Limited were trading at ₹936.70 up by ₹3.55 or 0.38 per cent on the NSE today at 11.30 am.

• Also read: Goods imported by intermediaries in mobile handset manufacturing to eligible for concessional duty

The project will be executed in two phases over a period of 5 years and 9 months, with the possibility of a 5-year extension. Under the agreement, the upgraded ITIs will introduce six new long-term trades and 23 short-term courses. The Tripura government will construct new infrastructure spanning 13,500 square feet at each ITI to support this initiative.

The deliverable-based domestic contract aims to enhance technical education infrastructure in the northeastern state. The company confirmed that the contract does not fall under related party transactions, and neither the promoter group nor group companies have any interest in the awarding entity.

Tamil Nadu government will soon set up a Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (AI) with an AI lab infrastructure as part of it, a state official from the state’s Information Technology (IT) department said.

The AI lab and other infrastructure part of this CoE will be offered to startups, academics, and other parties for a subsidised fee to grow research and development around AI, Kumar Jayanth, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of IT and Digital Services, Government of Tamil Nadu said. He was speaking at The Hindu’s AI Summit in Chennai on Thursday.

He explained that Tamil Nadu already uses AI in its governance and for delivery of services to citizens in the areas of healthcare, agriculture, and even for facial recognition-based attendance monitoring of staff. “Despite AI’s benefits, we must keep in mind some concerns in its use such as bias in training datasets and algorithms and also a basic cognitive bias among the people who create AI systems,” he said.

• Also read: The Hindu AI Summit to discuss and debate on the transformative nature and limitless possibilities of Artificial Intelligence

The AI summit is themed ‘From Hype to Hope to Reality: Turning Dreams into Destinies’ and it focuses on real-world adoption of AI across government and private sector. It involves a series of panel discussions and fireside chats featuring AI experts, CXOs, industrialists, bureaucrats, and others.

Talking about how the state is leveraging AI as part of a panel, Supriya Sahu, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare, highlighted how the state’s health department has been using the technology to screen for Tuberculosis among citizens. “We were happy to note that the rate of detection of TB with AI was twice as precise as traditional methods,” she said.

Amid widespread anxiety around AI taking away jobs of humans, Professor B Ravindran, Head – Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, IIT Madras, said that in reality Generative AI is a decades old concept and not a new phenomenon. “People will not lose their jobs to AI, but they may lose it to those people using AI well,” he added.  

Upskilling edtechstart-ups like upGrad, Great Learning and UNext are looking to strengthen their co-branded degrees with prestigious domestic and global institutions as demand for fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), data science, and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields are on the rise.

Great Learning observed a 59 per cent growth in demand for AI programmes during the first half of FY25 compared to the same period in FY24. In the last six months, demand for Generative AI programmes has grown by 46 per cent.

“Over the last month alone, we delivered ‘GenAI Fundamentals’ training to approximately 15,000 employees. Companies are even incorporating Generative AI training into onboarding programmes for fresh hires to ensure their workforce remains agile and future-ready,” said Hari Krishnan Nair, Co Founder, Great Learning.

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The edtech company has partnered with universities such as Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, and IIT Bombay.

“Moving forward, we plan to deepen our existing partnerships while exploring new collaborations that will allow us to continue meeting the evolving needs of learners and the industry,” added Nair.

He noted that co-branded degrees with prestigious domestic and international universities are gaining significant traction among learners primarily driven by the value these degrees offer in terms of credibility, depth, and recognition.

“A degree co-branded with a reputed institution not only provides learners with comprehensive, industry-relevant knowledge but also offers a strong academic credential that enhances their career prospects. The prestige and global recognition associated with such partnerships often translate career growth and advancement opportunities,” he added.

Edtech firm UNextcurrently offers 25 degree programmes . “While over 30% of learners come from tier 1 cities of India, with our mission we have been able to touch learners from over 1,000 towns and cities in the country,” said Satish Kumar, VP, Enterprise Business,Global.

The company plans to focus on onboarding more tier 1 universities in India.

“Our collaborations with some of the top universities in India has helped us bridge the gap between universities and learners,” he added.

Job guarantee

The sluggish employment market has impacted the growing demand for job-guaranteeing upskilling programmes, triggered by the initial allure of high-paying roles in 2021.

• Also read: India should prioritise skill development to fully realise its deep tech potential, says MD of SAP Labs India

Mayank Kumar, co-founder of upskilling unicorn upGrad, believes that companies centred exclusively on job placement will eventually need to expand into offering degrees, as scaling purely through job opportunities is difficult without direct control over employment.

Upskilling demand typically rises during economic downturns as more employees seek to enhance their skills. However, in India, this trend has flipped. Online degrees foster a symbiotic relationship, where universities collaborate with edtech platforms to provide industry-aligned content alongside formal qualifications, enhancing revenue for both partners.

For a class of 39 post-graduate students from Shiv Nadar University, NOIDA, it is a different kind of classroom. Very far from their campus, about 1,700 km to be precise, they find themselves in an agricultural field, talking to farmers and other experts in agroecology who earn a livelihood from agri practices. For most of them, it is the first time to meet a farmer and step into a farm field.

Deep in the heart of Andhra Pradesh, an interesting experiment is happening in the field of agricultural education. On a 38-acre organic farm nestled between the towns of Nuzividu and Vissannapeta, the Krishna Sudha Academy for Agroecology is taking root, nurturing a new generation of agricultural thinkers and practitioners.

Founded just last year, the academy is challenging the status quo in agricultural education, prioritising hands-on experience and systemic understanding over theoretical knowledge and top-down solutions.

G.V. Ramanjaneyulu, who has been working in the sustainable agricultural space winning several awards, is driving the academy. Doctor couple, Sudha and Nageswara Rao, who run Dr. Pinnamaneni Siddartha Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Foundation and Drs. Sudha & Nageswara Rao Siddartha Institute of Dental Sciences, and Sree Padmavathi Venkateswara Foundation established the Academy by providing the building and land for the unique experiment in the field of agricultural education.

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He’s seen firsthand the struggles of India’s farmers, caught in a cycle of debt and dependence, and he believes the current agricultural education system is failing them.

“The problem is that the system pushes farmers towards a single model of high input agriculture without understanding their specific needs and challenges. There’s a lack of data and research on alternative models, and the focus is on increasing production at any cost, even if it means harming the environment and the farmer’s livelihood,” Ramanjaneyulu, Executive Director of the academy, told businessline.

G V Ramanjaneyulu delivering a lecture at Krishna Sudha Academy of Agroecology.

The academy is designed to be different. Instead of classrooms and textbooks, students learn by doing, working side-by-side with experienced farmers on the academy’s working organic farm. They see firsthand the principles of agroecology in action, from biodiversity conservation to rainwater harvesting, and they learn to adapt these principles to different contexts.

Citing the examples of Medical Colleges, IIMs and IITs, he said the institutes rope in industry experts from across verticals for teaching, exposing the students to real-life experiences. 

The academy’s vision goes beyond simply teaching sustainable farming practices. It aims to cultivate a new breed of agricultural professionals who understand the interconnectedness of production, institutions, marketing, and public policy. That’s why the academy offers training programmes not just for farmers but also for extension workers, researchers, and even bankers. 

• Also read: India’s rice procurement deficit down on higher Nov purchases

He said bankers involved in agricultural lending should comprehend the nuances involved in farming and the associated issues involved. “Unless they understand them fully, they won’t appreciate the needs of farmers,” he points out.

“We need to build a system where everyone involved in agriculture is working together towards a common goal,” Ramanjaneyulu emphasises.

 “That means fostering collaboration between universities, government agencies, and the private sector,” he says.

The academy is already making strides in this direction. It has established partnerships with several universities, including Shivanadar University, offering students internships and research opportunities at the farm. It is also working with the National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming to develop training programmes for government extension staff.

And the academy’s influence extends beyond India’s borders. It has forged international partnerships with organisations like the University of Edinburgh, the University of York, Monash University, and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Switzerland, sharing knowledge and best practices with a global network of agroecology advocates.

By reimagining agricultural education, the academy is trying to sow the seeds of change, cultivating a future where farming is both sustainable and profitable.

Published on November 20, 2024

Australian universities are increasingly focusing on India as a prime destination for establishing offshore campuses. According to Monica Kennedy, Head of South Asia for the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) in New Delhi, this trend is gaining momentum, with projections of another fully-fledged campus on a large scale within three years.

“We will have at least another university with a full campus in some part of India,” she said.

Currently, two Australian universities, University of Wollongong and Deakin University, have established campuses in India at GIFT City. Kennedy also outlined a vision for a larger campus in the future, capable of accommodating 5,000 to 10,000 students within the next five to 10 years.

These universities aim to offer transnational education or dual awards through twinning arrangements, enabling students to complete part of their studies in India and part in Australia.

She added that institutions are increasingly exploring opportunities in fields such as business, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels in technology-related domains like AI, cybersecurity, fintech, and health tech. These areas, she emphasised, present significant opportunities for Australian universities to engage with the Indian market.

The recent developments in Australian universities coming to India can be attributed to the close collaboration between the two governments. “We have closely aligned ambitions and strengths, making the alignment in our education partnerships critical,” she notes.

Additionally, there is significant interest from Indian universities in partnering with Australian campuses. Indian States are increasingly looking internationally to attract foreign campuses, as this provides students with more variety and the opportunity to stay closer to home. Australian universities are highly enthusiastic about this trend, with many actively exploring such opportunities.

The Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Delhi Research Implementation and Innovation Foundation (DRIIV) and Bharti Institute of Public Policy (BIPP) at Indian School of Business (ISB) have signed an MoU to establish a Centre of Excellence on Aerial and Water Robotics for Development and Sustainability (CoE-AWRDS).

“We will be focussing on enhancing autonomy, sensing, and navigation capabilities. Further, our strategic partnerships with communities, academia, industry, government, and civil societies will lead the Centre to facilitate the comprehension of research outcomes into practical robotic solutions,’‘ Ashwini Chhatre, Associate Professor and Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB said in a release. 

• Also read: Sowing the seeds of change: A new academy reimagines agricultural education 

“These solutions will target diverse applications such as natural resource monitoring, measurement and management, disaster management, environmental monitoring, socio-economic sensing, agriculture optimisation, healthcare delivery in remote areas, and efficient infrastructure inspection,’‘ he added. 

As part of the MoU, the Bharti Institute of Public Policy will provide its expertise in public policy, impact assessment, policy recommendations, and partnership facilitation.

Pankaj Vajpayee, Dean of Corporate Relations & Entrepreneurship and Director of IIITD Innovation & Incubation Center, IIIT Delhi, said, “One of the key aspects of our collaboration is the nurturing of the next generation of technology experts representing tribal and rural communities through comprehensive educational programmes and hands-on training opportunities.’‘

In agriculture, drones can assess crop health, monitor irrigation efficiency, and detect pests and diseases, contributing to zero hunger SDG. Similarly, for SDG 6 pertaining to clean water and sanitation, drones can survey water bodies, monitor pollution levels, and assess the effectiveness of sanitation interventions. In the context of sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), drones can map urban areas, monitor infrastructure, and assess disaster risks.

According to Shipra Misra, Managing Director & CEO, DRIIV Foundation, the CoE stands to empower communities and foster sustainable development.”

• Also read: Australian universities target India for offshore expansion

The Indian School of Business (ISB) has unveiled a refreshed logo, marking a step in its mission to develop leaders equipped with the knowledge and character to drive global transformation. 

ISB’s updated logo is a manifestation of its strategic direction and symbolises the institution’s innovative and forward-thinking approach. It builds on ISB’s core elements while incorporating a modern, forward-thinking design with a bold, clean sans-serif wordmark.

Dean Madan Pillutla remarked, “Our new brand embodies ISB’s relentless pursuit of excellence. We are firmly committed to nurturing leaders who drive impactful change in a complex world. We are already on a path of evolution this year with a revised curriculum and a new programme for young leaders. Our new brand identity reflects our belief that the future belongs to those who create it.”

Brand consultancy Landor partnered with ISB to bring this vision to life.

• Also read: ISB ranked first in India by Financial Times in Executive Education Custom Ranking 2024

Salam Kisan, an agri-tech platform under PRYM Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth (DBSKKV Dapoli). This partnership focuses on facilitating a research-backed, tech-driven transformation within the agricultural ecosystem.

A media statement said that Salam Kisan strengthens its existing features and creates additional value for the entire agricultural community with this partnership. Established for a period of five years, the partnership provides a stable foundation for long-term initiatives, it said.

The goals of this partnership include strengthening the crop calendar by utilising data-driven AI and machine learning solutions to optimise agricultural planning, allowing for more precise planting and harvesting schedules. It also aims to develop drone standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the safe and effective use of drones in agriculture, addressing a current industry gap as only a few such government SOPs exist.

Real-time solutions

It said the collaboration will deliver real-time pest and disease management solutions, offering farmers on-the-ground support to protect their crops. The partnership will focus on formulating and promoting natural farming practices to encourage sustainable, eco-friendly methods that support environmental health and long-term agricultural resilience.

Quoting Dhanashree Mandhani, Founder and CEO of Salam Kisan, the statement said, “This partnership is critical for the future of sustainable agriculture in India. Known for its excellence in agricultural research, the state agricultural university brings invaluable knowledge to this collaboration. By combining DBSKKV’s rigorous research expertise with Salam Kisan’s advanced technological capabilities, we can deliver impactful, scalable solutions that uplift the agriculture sector as a whole. This alliance represents a meaningful step towards our commitment to transforming agriculture through accessible, sustainable technology. Together, we aim to drive substantial improvements in farming productivity and resilience, enhancing livelihoods and supporting rural entrepreneurship across the nation.”

The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the MicroInsurance Innovation Hub (MIIH) to collaborate on a range of initiatives aimed at advancing the field of microinsurance. 

The partnership will focus on several key areas, including capacity development, research, data-driven innovation, and the promotion of sustainable development. Prof. Debashis Acharya, School of Economics will be the coordinator. Supriya Goli, ED, MIIH, will represent MIIH as its coordinator. 

• Also read: Odisha government to roll out NEP 2020 in universities, colleges from 2024-25

The Key Areas of Collaboration would be Capacity Development where the partnership will implement training programs for various stakeholders on the fundamentals of microinsurance, including product development, distribution strategies, and market expansion.

 Additionally, both organizations will collaborate with academic institutions to offer specialized courses in microinsurance to build a skilled workforce. The UoH and MIIH will work together to develop and disseminate research reports, white papers, and case studies that highlight best practices in the microinsurance sector. 

The collaboration will also establish a comprehensive knowledge repository, providing stakeholders with easy access to valuable insights and resources.

A key initiative will be the publication of a monthly magazine, PULSE, which will focus on the latest microinsurance trends, expert perspectives, and industry developments. The partnership will also organize the Global Conference on Microinsurance (GCMI) to foster dialogue and collaboration among thought leaders, practitioners, and policymakers in the microinsurance space.  

“The MoU marks a significant step forward in advancing microinsurance knowledge, innovation, and practice in India and beyond, contributing to financial inclusion, Viksit Bharat, and IRDAI’s objective of Insurance for all and sustainable development goals,’‘ the release said.

• Also read: Supreme Court clarifies AMU’s minority status, rejects ‘safe haven’ argument for minorities

The University of Wollongong (UOW) became the second Australian University to formally start its international campus at GIFT City on Friday.

“Today with IFSCA (International Financial Service Centres Authority) we have laid the foundation for a new era of financial leadership and innovation in India… In GIFT City we aim to bring education, research and business together to nurture the next generation of leaders,” said Michael Still, Chancellor of UOW, who was present at GIFT City where UOW also launched a course in Financial Technology (Fintech).

In January 2024, Deakin University became the first foreign university in India to open an international campus at GIFT City. “Officially launched today, UOW India campus in GIFT City will not be just be a centre for learning, but a hub for developing skills that are equipped with nuance of a globalised financial environment,” said Still. 

• Also read: PhysicsWallah appoints ex-Blinkit Amit Sachdeva as its Chief Finance Officer

A Letter of Intent was formally signed in July 2022 between UOW and Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) to establish a location for teaching, research and industry engagement in GIFT City. The University has taken up space in Pragya-II tower in GIFT City for it’s vertical campus.

UOW plans to use it’s expertise in banking, insurance, asset management and other financial services to also support the creation of robust regulatory frameworks in India. Dr Monica Kennedy, Minister of Commercial and Head of Austrade in South Asia, who was present at GIFT City said, “We have two Australian universities accredited to deliver education here. Today is an incredibly proud moment as one of Australia’s best universities is launching its campus in GIFT City.”

At the event, the University also announced Cerin Elsa Joji as the inaugural recipient of the Women Leaders in FinTech Scholarship, aimed to boost female participation in the tech sector, stated an official release.

In alignment with its mission to deepen collaboration with Indian organisations, UOW India announced a strategic partnership with Odoo at the inauguration. Odoo, a renowned open-source business software suite, provides tools for CRM, eCommerce, accounting, and more, ensuring students gain practical, industry-relevant skills. Odoo joins a growing portfolio of global industry collaborators that UOW is bringing to GIFT City, it added.

• Also read: Summer placements begin at IIMA; Accenture & BCG among top recruiters

Marisa Mastroianni, Managing Director and Group CEO at UOW Global Enterprises, said, “India’s rapid economic and technological advancements have attracted global attention. Students shouldn’t have to travel across continents to access Australia’s world-class education. With UOW India, we’re bringing global learning to their doorstep in GIFT City, India’s first operational smart city. Students at our GIFT City campus will experience the same high standards as our Australian and global campuses, including those in Dubai, Malaysia and Hong Kong. To enhance this experience, our first cohort will receive a fully funded trip to our Dubai campus, immersing them into our global network and international collaborations.”

“UOW India students will join more than 7,000 students offshore, and upon graduation join an alumni community of more than 190,000 strong from 199 countries. We’re excited to witness our first cohort of students grow into the leaders of tomorrow,” she added.

All the vacant teacher posts in Andhra Pradesh State will be filled by the next academic year, Nara Lokesh, Minister for Education, IT and Electronics said.

While replying to questions in the Assembly in Amaravati on Friday, Lokesh said the goal of the State Government was to complete teacher recruitment without any legal tangles.

The details of all the cases pending since 1994 were collected and the Government had decided to issue the DSC notification without any obstacles, he added. 

The file with regard to increasing the age limit to the DSC aspirants is pending before the Chief Ministers.

Before 1994 the teacher recruitment was conducted by the respective zilla parishads, he said and stated that after the TDP came to power 15 DSCs were conducted to fill 1.8 lakh teacher vacancies. 

The previous YSRCP government did not fill even a single vacant teacher post, Lokesh said and remarked there a DSC notification was issued on February 12, 2024, just two months before the Assembly elections by the previous government to only “to deceive” the job aspirants, he alleged. The process did not move forward at all, he added.

• Also read: International campus of second Australian university goes ‘live’ in GIFT City 

New Delhi

Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday that India is setting up a data centre at the University of Houston to provide easy access to critical geological data. The move aims to encourage global oil and gas companies to invest in India’s exploration & production (E&P) sector.

Speaking at the inaugural event of GEO India 2024, Puri emphasised that the government has effected several measures to open up India’s E&P sector as the world’s third largest crude oil importer is working towards enhancing oil and gas production.

GEO India is the country’s premier South Asian geosciences conference and exhibition. It is expected to draw around 2,000 participants and feature over 20 conference sessions, four plenary discussions and over 200 technical papers.

Assuring an “interference-free administration”, the minister said that the government has proposed amendments to the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 1948, which ensures policy stability for oil and gas producers. It also allows for international arbitration and extends lease periods. The bill, which was introduced in Parliament in August, is expected to be passed in the upcoming winter session, scheduled for later this month.

The ministry has introduced ‘petroleum lease’ and has expanded the definition of mineral oils to include crude oil, natural gas, petroleum, condensate, coal bed methane, oil shale, shale gas, shale oil, tight gas, tight oil and gas hydrate. Besides, it also separates mining operations from petroleum operations.

Puri also outlined key reforms such as simplifying the approval process for E&P activities, reducing 37 approval processes to just 18, of which nine are now available for self-certification.

The minister further emphasised that the government has effected several significant reforms to stimulate growth in India’s energy sector, including the shift from the previous regime’s Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) to the new Revenue Sharing Contracts (RSCs), which provides greater clarity and predictability for investors.

Another key area of focus has been improving access to data concerning India’s sedimentary basins. The government has made significant strides in facilitating data availability through initiatives like the National Seismic Programme (NSP) for onshore areas, EEZ surveys for offshore areas, and the opening up of previously unexplored regions such as the Andaman Basin.

The recent Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) bidding round IX marked a historic milestone, with 136,596 sq.km of exploration area offered in 28 blocks across eight sedimentary basins, the minister said.

Notably, 38 per cent of the area offered in this round had previously been classified as ‘No-Go’ areas. The round saw a strong response, with a total of 60 bids receiving for 28 blocks, reflecting heightened interest from both Indian and foreign companies. The average number of bids per block increased to 2.4, compared to just 1.3 per block in the previous round, he added.

Tamil Nadu has launched the 2024-25 campus hiring season as part of the Naan Mudhalvan -Tamil Nadu State Level Placement Program (TNSLPP).

This initiative, launched Chief Minister MK Stalin is aimed at enhancing the employability of Tamil Nadu’s youth and connecting them with top-notch #career opportunities, says a social media post by Industries Minister TRB Rajaa.

The Naan Mudhalvan has already empowered 38,80,933 students by providing industry-relevant skills, with 14 lakh students trained annually. Under the TNSLPP initiative, we have a talented pool of 350,000 students from Engineering, Arts & Science colleges ready to be hired.

“So far, we have successfully placed 91,234 engineering students, 1,18,685 arts & science students, and a total of 2,51,958 students (including Polytechnics & ITIs) since 2022. We invite all employers and industries to participate in this incredible opportunity. Access our Skill Registry and connect with skilled candidates for your fresher requirements,” the post said.

• Also read: UoH teams up with Micro Insurance Innovation Hub 

Accenture Strategy, Boston Consulting Group, and McKinsey & Company were the top three recruiters who participated in the first cluster of the Summer Placement process for the PGP class of 2026 at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA).

“We saw a large pool of recruiters offering about 73 roles in the process,” stated the institute about the summer placements held for the first cluster on November 12. The firms that participated in Cluster 1 comprised six cohorts, including Management Consulting, Transformation & Operations Consulting, Advisory Consulting, Cards & Financial Advisory, Investment Banking & Markets, and PE/VC, Asset Management & Hedge Funds.

• Also read: IIMA proves it is gold standard for management studies, bags top spot in NIRF list for 5th consecutive time

Goldman Sachs was the largest recruiter in the Investment Banking and Markets cohort, with 11 offers, followed by HSBC (India and Hong Kong). In the PE/VC domain, WinZo Funds and WhiteOak Capital led the charge with six and three offers, respectively.

Active participation was seen from some new recruiters like Roland Berger, EY-Parthenon Singapore, Cranmore Partners, BNP Paribas, IIFL Securities, UBS, Moelis & Co., Deutsche AG, Deutsche India, and Pkeday Advisors in the summer internship process, stated IIMA.

Cluster 1 also saw increased participation from international firms from locations such as Hong Kong, Germany, the USA, Singapore, and the Middle East. Placements for Clusters 2 and 3 will be held on November 15 and 18, respectively.

The Centre on Wednesday released guidelines to prevent misleading advertisements by coaching institutes, prohibiting false claims of guaranteed selections or job security among others.

The move was after the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) received several complaints on the National Consumer Helpline. The CCPA has already issued 54 suo-moto notices and imposed penalties of about ₹54.60 lakh on some of the leading institutes.

“We found that the majority of successful candidates shown in such ads only took free mock interviews from these coaching institutes. Important information such as courses opted by successful candidates was deliberately concealed. We also noticed coaching institutes making false claims such as guaranteed selection, good rank and high mark,” said Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare.

“ This forced us to come out with guidelines to safeguard consumer interests from deceptive marketing practices and to bring much-needed transparency enabling students and families to make informed decisions,” she told reporters on Wednesday. 

The guidelines define the term coaching to include academic support, imparting education, guidance, study programmes or tuitions or any other similar activities. However, they do not include counselling, sports, dance, theatre and other creative activities.

No false claims

It prohibit any coaching institutes to make false claims such as guaranteed selection, job security, job promotions, salary increase, success at different stages of an examination, admission to any institution or lead the consumer to believe that enrolment in coaching will ensure a good rank, high marks. These institutes also cannot falsely represent that the services are of a particular standard or quality or create a false sense of urgency. .

They also prevent coaching centres from using students’ names, photos, or testimonials in advertisements without their written consent and it must be obtained only after the student’s selection. This provision is intended to reduce the pressure students face while enrolling, as they are often pushed into signing such agreements upfront.

Display disclaimers

Coaching institutes must disclose key information such as rank secured by successful candidates, name and duration of the course, and whether it was a paid course along with the candidate’s photograph in ads. They must also display disclaimers and other important information prominently.

The institutes are also bound to accurately represent the kind of service, facilities, resources and infrastructure of their coaching centres. To maintain transparency, they must also “truthfully represent” that the courses offered are duly recognised and have the approval of a competent authority such as All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and University Grants Commission (UGC).

Khare said these guidelines will prevent exploitation of students and ensure that they are not misled by false promises or compelled into unfair contracts, benefiting both consumers and the broader educational ecosystem. These guidelines will be in addition to any existing regulations, enhancing the overall regulatory framework governing advertisements in the coaching sector, an official statement added. 

The Centre on Wednesday released guidelines to prevent misleading advertisements by coaching institutes, prohibiting false claims of guaranteed selections or job security among others.

The move was after the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) received several complaints on the National Consumer Helpline. The CCPA has already issued 54 suo-moto notices and imposed penalties of about ₹54.60 lakh on some of the leading institutes.

“We found that the majority of successful candidates shown in such ads only took free mock interviews from these coaching institutes. Important information such as courses opted by successful candidates was deliberately concealed. We also noticed coaching institutes making false claims such as guaranteed selection, good rank and high mark,” said Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare.

“ This forced us to come out with guidelines to safeguard consumer interests from deceptive marketing practices and to bring much-needed transparency enabling students and families to make informed decisions,” she told reporters on Wednesday. 

The guidelines define the term coaching to include academic support, imparting education, guidance, study programmes or tuitions or any other similar activities. However, they do not include counselling, sports, dance, theatre and other creative activities.

It prohibit any coaching institutes to make false claims such as guaranteed selection, job security, job promotions, salary increase, success at different stages of an examination, admission to any institution or lead the consumer to believe that enrolment in coaching will ensure a good rank, high marks. These institutes also cannot falsely represent that the services are of a particular standard or quality or create a false sense of urgency. .

They also prevent coaching centres from using students’ names, photos, or testimonials in advertisements without their written consent and it must be obtained only after the student’s selection. This provision is intended to reduce the pressure students face while enrolling, as they are often pushed into signing such agreements upfront.

Coaching institutes must disclose key information such as rank secured by successful candidates, name and duration of the course, and whether it was a paid course along with the candidate’s photograph in ads. They must also display disclaimers and other important information prominently.

The institutes are also bound to accurately represent the kind of service, facilities, resources and infrastructure of their coaching centres. To maintain transparency, they must also “truthfully represent” that the courses offered are duly recognised and have the approval of a competent authority such as All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and University Grants Commission (UGC).

Khare said these guidelines will prevent exploitation of students and ensure that they are not misled by false promises or compelled into unfair contracts, benefiting both consumers and the broader educational ecosystem. These guidelines will be in addition to any existing regulations, enhancing the overall regulatory framework governing advertisements in the coaching sector, an official statement added. 

Bhanzu, the global math platform, has raised $16.5 million in Series B funding led by Epiq Capital. The round also saw participation from Z3Partners and existing investors Lightspeed Ventures and Eight Roads.

The company plans to deploy the new funding to further expand its market in US.

Bhanzu has achieved 8x growth since its last funding round, positive cash flow, said the company in its statement and has a product-market fit across India, the US, UK, and the Middle East.

• Also read: upGrad expands course offerings amid demand for AI programs, sees international growth

Founded in 2020 by world record-holder Neelakantha Bhanu offers a curriculum that helps students increase their proficiency in maths.

Neelakantha Bhanu, Founder and CEO of Bhanzu, said “Students’ enthusiasm and families’ trust are fueling our journey, as demonstrated by a 5X increase in renewals. The U.S. math education market has significant potential, but it is dominated by large, billion-dollar companies that have not innovated their curricula or effectively embraced technology.”

“This gap creates a significant opportunity for Bhanzu to revolutionize math education in the US. Bhanzu’s first-principles approach, strengthened by a robust use case of GenAI in education, aims to make math more intuitive and engaging. We are building Bhanzu in India for the world, with aspirations to become a household name in math education globally” he added.

The funding comes at a time when the edtech sector in India is going through a rough patch with the downfall of Byju’s, once the most valuable edtech startup. Other companies have also seen layoffs, and changes in strategic function to accomodate the return of offline learning.

• Also read: Nvidia: The lynchpin of the AI revolution

However, in recent times the skepticism of the sector is waning with sentiments improving.

Recently, edtech major PhysicsWallah raised $210 million in Series B funding from Hornbill Capital and venture capital firm Lightspeed Venture Partners. Existing investors GSV Ventures and WestBridge were also involved. With the offline expansion and listing plans in the pipeline, the new funding round takes the valuation of the edtech major to $2.8 billion, i.e., 2.5 times what it was worth two years ago.

Eruditus has raised a $150 million Series F fundraise led by TPG’s The Rise Fund, with participation from existing investors Softbank Vision Fund 2, Leeds Illuminate, Accel, CPP Investments and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is collaborating with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to establish a Centre of Excellence for research in ‘Fluid and Thermal Sciences’. The ISRO would be providing a seed funding of ₹1.84 crore towards establishing this centre.

This centre will act as a nodal centre for spacecraft and launch vehicle-related thermal management research activities of ISRO. Thermal problems regarding design, analysis and testing of various components could be performed by leveraging the expertise of IIT Madras faculty.

The projects under the MoU will cover critical areas, including spacecraft thermal management, combustion instability in hybrid rockets, and cryo-tank thermodynamics. The Centre will enhance collaboration between ISRO scientists and IIT Madras faculty, fostering innovation in fluid and thermal sciences.

Arvind Pattamatta, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, in the release said, this Centre of Excellence will foster an industry-academia interface, allowing ISRO scientists and IIT Madras faculty and students to collaboratively advance research in critical areas of thermal science.

Interest in Indian talent is one of the most frequent themes in conversations with foreign governments and corporates, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at the silver jubilee celebrations of the Aditya Birla Scholarships in Mumbai on Sunday.

“The interest in Indian talent is probably the most frequent theme in our conversations with foreign governments and corporates,” Jaishankar said, highlighting the growing global demand for skilled Indian workforce. India has signed mobility agreements with more than 20 nations to ensure better access and fair treatment for its professionals abroad.

The minister emphasised that a “better educated, skilled, and confident generation of Indians” would be crucial in meeting this international demand, particularly as technological advances require greater human talent while many societies face skills shortages.

• Also read: Odisha government to roll out NEP 2020 in universities, colleges from 2024-25

Speaking at the event, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said, “The Aditya Birla Scholarship is a microcosm of India’s immense talent. The extraordinary success of the program, as measured by the achievements of our scholars over the years, only indicates that ultimately investment in talent is what shapes the future.”

The scholarship program, which began in 1999, has selected 781 scholars to date across engineering, management, and law disciplines. This year, 48 scholars were chosen from 389 applicants after a thorough selection process. Over this period, the program has evaluated more than 10,000 applications.

The program partners with 22 premier institutions, including select IITs, BITS Pilani, leading IIMs, XLRI, and National Law Schools. Notable for achieving 30% women representation in its scholar community, the program evaluates candidates through a distinguished jury panel including Dr. Mashelkar, Dr. Kakodkar, Justice Srikrishna, Dr. Kasturi Rangan, and Dr. Ajit Mohanty.

Jaishankar also addressed India’s growing economic influence, stating that the country is “certain to be third by the end of the decade” among global economies. He emphasized that foreign policy now has a fundamental purpose of advancing national development alongside ensuring national security.

The event was also attended by Harvard political philosopher Professor Michael J. Sandel.

The Odisha government has announced that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will be implemented in government Universities and affiliated colleges across the State from the current academic session (2024-25).

A press release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office informed that the implementation of the NEP 2020 is aimed at bringing a sea change in the education system of the State.

According to the New Education Policy 2020, a four-year undergraduate course is set to begin in the State, where eligible students will receive a certificate, diploma, degree, and degree with honours at the end of each year.

• Also read: Bold promises in education, but gap in delivery needs attention

Based on the credit framework provided by the UGC, a State-level credit framework has been prepared, wherein opportunities for credits for skill development and internships have been provided.

Meanwhile, Odisha will celebrate the International Day of Millets on November 10-11, as declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

Chief Minister Majhi will inaugurate the ‘Millet Mission’ on November 10.Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said, “The Prime Minister had declared 10th November as the International Day of Millets. So this year, we are observing the International Day of Millets on November 10th and 11th in Bhubaneswar. We are going to have 10 technical sessions spread over two days. The CM (Mohan Charan Majhi) is going to inaugurate the ‘Millet Mission’ on November 10.”

He further said that this event would be on forgotten crops that are grown in the tribal and the mascot also bears the name Milli which has been derived from millets.

“This mission is about educating people to eat healthy, live healthy and eat fresh. I am sure that all the international participants who are coming for this two-day symposium and the other technical experts, through their interaction, are going to enlighten all the people of the State,” he said.

The Australian curriculum plans to debut in India’s school education landscape, with projections to introduce the curriculum in ten schools by the upcoming academic year, according to Syed Sultan Ahmed, Chairperson of TAISI and Founder, Chief Learner at LXL Ideas. The announcement was made during the Association of International Schools of India (TAISI) conference.

“We plan to begin by working with 10 schools and ensure that all our systems and processes are in place before expanding this network,” he noted.

Currently, the program has not been rolled out in any Indian schools, confirmed Angelique Smith, Associate Director, International Education Strategic, External Relations at SCSA, Department of Education, Western Australia. However, the program has been piloted in a school in Punjab to assess what works and what does not for India, she added.

The Australian curriculum, structured in a K-12 format, includes English, mathematics, science, humanities, social science, health and physical education, languages, technology, and the arts. Assessment is split into 50 per cent school-based evaluation and 50 per cent external examination. “This approach ideally ensures that students’ performance in school assessments is consistent with their results in external exams. To support this, we work closely with teachers to help them understand the standards, create appropriate assessments, and allow for differentiation to accommodate a range of student abilities. Our aim is to prepare students not just for exams,” explained Smith.

Furthermore, commenting on the collaboration, Hillary McGeachy, Australian Consul General in Bengaluru, said, “India continues to be the second-largest source of international students in Australia over 1,22,000 students enrolled from January to September 2023, and with this partnership, we see a tremendous opportunity ahead.”

Supreme Court’s Justice Satish Chandra Sharma on Friday said it was “wholly incorrect” to assume that minorities in the country required some “safe haven” for education and knowledge.

Justice Sharma was part of a seven-judge Constitution bench, which by a 4:3 majority verdict, overruled the 1967 judgement that held the Aligarh Muslim University not to be a minority institution since it was created by a central law.

“To assume that the minorities of the country require some ‘safe haven’ for attaining education and knowledge is wholly incorrect,” he said.

The judge further underlined that the minorities of the country had not only joined the mainstream but also were an important facet of it.

• Also read: CJI D Y Chandrachud: A legacy of landmark verdicts and some controversy too

“The institutions of national character of the country always serve the interests of the minorities and are diverse centers of learning,” Justice Sharma said.

The majority verdict, authored by the CJI D Y Chandrachud, said the contentious legal question of AMU’s minority status would now be adjudicated by a regular bench.

In a 193-page separate opinion, Justice Sharma said the “establishment” of an institution by the minority was necessary for it to claim the right of administration under Article 30 of the Constitution.

Article 30 deals with the right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.

Justice Sharma said the words “establish” and “administer” were used conjunctively in Article 30.

The majority verdict held as valid the 1981 reference by a two-judge bench questioning the correctness of the 1967 judgement by a five-judge Constitution bench in the S Azeez Basha v. Union of India and referring it to a seven-judge bench.

In his verdict, Justice Sharma said the two-judge bench could not have referred the matter to a bench of seven judges directly without the CJI being on the bench.

He said the notion that Azeez Basha verdict categorically prohibited minorities from establishing universities due to statutory requirements was “unfounded”.

• Also read: No greater feeling than serving those in need: Outgoing CJI D Y Chandrachud

Justice Sharma said the 1967 judgment hadn’t precluded minorities from establishing universities but highlighted the importance of the legislative intent and statutory provisions in determining an institution’s character.

“The minority community may conceptualise the idea of an institution and may advocate for the same, however, if during an exchange or negotiation, the actual institution which was established had primacy of governmental efforts and control, then such institution cannot be held to be predominantly established by the efforts and actions of the minority community,” he said.

Justice Sharma said the term “establish” in Article 30 meant “to bring into existence or to create” and couldn’t be conflated with generic phrases such as “genesis of the institution” or the “founding moment of the institution”.

He said the purpose of Article 30 was not to create “minority only” ghettos but provide positive rights to the minorities to establish educational institutions of their choice and kind.

“Article 30, as a feature of the Constitution, provides important rights which function within the larger penumbra of fundamental rights. There is substantial interplay, intermixing and balancing of rights inter se within the fundamental rights and Article 30 is not absolute and certainly do not exist in a silo,” noted Justice Sharma.

The crux of Article 30(1) was in its mandate to ensure parity between non-minority (or “neutral”) institutions and minority ones, he said.

“Its fundamental aim is to prevent any form of discrimination or preferential treatment to non-minority communities, thereby advocating for equal treatment under the law for one and all,” wrote Justice Sharma.

He said the provision underscored no specific category or type of institution should be disadvantaged or unduly favoured over another within the legal framework.

“The assertion that ‘neutral’ institutions or non-minority institutions would in the natural course of things be ‘majoritarian’ or that Article 30 contemplates constitutionally protecting certain educational spaces from such ‘majoritarianism-by-default’ tendencies, is wholly erroneous,” he held.

Higher education and upskilling company upGrad, is set to expand its portfolio with new offerings in financial services, creative arts, gaming, and VFX, while further strengthening its AI programs.

“There’s strong intent among learners to pursue skilling in these domains, and our targeted boot camps and certifications are designed to meet that growing demand,” said Mayank Kumar, co-Founder, upGrad.

For areas, like gaming, VFX, and animation, we’re partnering with global universities from the US, Canada, and the U.K.

“These collaborations bring international expertise to our learners, especially as India increasingly services global markets,” he added.

While In fast-evolving fields like AI, financial services, and project management, the company is designing and offering our own branded courses.

“This approach allows us to quickly adapt to the latest trends and deliver targeted programs that appeal to professionals in both IT and non-IT sectors,” he added.

The company has also broadened its product portfolio significantly to meet evolving learner demands, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence (AI) and study abroad programs.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in AI-related programs, with offerings ranging from short boot camps to doctoral degrees.” He emphasised that demand for both technical and non-technical AI skills has surged, as industries are increasingly seeking AI-enabled professionals. “India will see an emergence of an AI-first workforce,” Mayank added.

AI remains one of UpGrad’s most popular domains, accounting for around 40per cent of the 3.4 lakh sign-ups for free courses in FY24.

Beyond AI, upGrad’s study-abroad offerings have seen strong uptake, driven by a “1+1” program model that allows students to complete their first year in India and the second year abroad, thereby reducing costs. The company also facilitates partnerships with global universities, strengthening talent mobility from India to international economies.

A key part of UpGrad’s growth strategy is expanding its offline presence to enhance learner acquisition. Currently, the company operates over 15 experience centres across India, where students and their families can receive in-depth guidance on program choices. “We aim to double our offline centres by the end of this year,” he added. 

Talking about revenues, Mayank said that that 80per cent of its business is India-based, with the remaining 20per cent derived from Southeast Asia and the US. “These two markets have shown strong growth, especially for our AI and enterprise training programs,” Mayank said. He also shared UpGrad’s goal of reaching break-even profitability by the end of FY25. “Two quarters back, we were already profitable. For FY25, we’re on track for significant revenue growth, with at least two quarters expected to show profitability.”

Edtech unicorn PhyscisWallah saw its operating revenue rise to ₹ 1,940 crore in FY24 from₹ 744 crore in FY23, while the company’s losses widen sharply on the back of a rise in expenses, regulatory filings showed.

The company’s consolidated loss stood at ₹1,131.3 crore in FY24, up from ₹84.1 crore recorded in the earlier fiscal period.

The reported losses were impacted by non-cash adjustments, such as compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS), depreciation and amortization and ESOP expense. This CCPS expense is recorded in relation to the buyback clause provided in the CCPS issued, basis conversion of accounting standards from IGAAP to INDAS.

The company had reported a profit of ₹ 9 crore in FY23 under the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) reporting standards. However, the company has now re-adjusted its financials and adopted the India accounting standards (IND AS) reporting standards from previous financial years.

The company’s expenses surged to ₹ 3,279.1 crore in FY24 as compared to ₹ 862 crore in the year ago period. The sharp rise in expenses was driven by employee benefits, which jumped to ₹ 1,159 crore.

This comes at a time when the company is preparing to go public. Recently, PhysicsWallah raised $210 million on September 20, via a combination of primary and secondary transactions, led by Hornbill Capital, saw participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners, as well as existing investors WestBridge Capital and GSV Ventures.

The company has also diversified its offerings from school education to skilling and other test prep areas in the past couple of years.

Founded in 2020 by Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari, PW has over 55 lakh paid students, 4.6 crore YouTube channel subscribers.

The UK-based University of Southampton, the first foreign university to receive UGC permission to start a campus in the country, has announced the maiden academic programme at its Delhi campus.

“The courses offered at the University of Southampton’s India campus are the same as those offered in the UK, with the same modules, assessment, and academic requirements,” a university statement said on Thursday. 

“Students graduate with the same degree at the India campus as they will do when studying the same degree in the UK,” it said.

The university is calling for applications (classes begin in August 2025) in the undergraduate and postgraduate streams. The UG programmes include a BSc in Business Management, Accounting & Finance, Computer Science, and Economics.

The University of Southampton is partnering with Oxford International Education Group (OIEG) to deliver the new campus, including enquiry admissions and enrolment services. 

The first application round will close on November 29. Two further admissions rounds are then expected to take place for 2025 entry. 

Getting an education loan up to ₹10 lakh for a middle-class aspirant would now be easy as the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new Central Sector Scheme.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) also decided to enhance the equity capital for Food Corporation of India (FCI) by over ₹10,000 crore.

Announcing these decisions, Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the scheme will have total outlay of ₹3,600 crore. “This will cover almost every student (going to pursue higher education) from lower middle income and middle-income family.” Also, the scheme will include all the streams. Adding to this Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said: “Education loans under the scheme will be facilitated to students securing admissions in top 860 HEIs (Higher Educational Institutions) of the country based on NIRF. This will cover more than 22 lakh students every year.”

• Also read: State can regulate madrasa education to ensure standards of excellence: SC 

Students having annual family income of up to ₹8 lakh shall be eligible to get 3 per cent interest subvention on education loans up to ₹10 lakh. Loans up to ₹7.5 lakhs shall be eligible for 75 per cent credit guarantee. Education loans will be facilitated through a transparent, student-friendly and digital application process that will be common to all banks. Financial assistance to meritorious students is a key recommendation of NEP 2020. “Collateral-free and guarantor-free education loans under PM Vidyalaxmi will maximise access to higher education for meritorious students and ensure that financial constraints do not prevent students from pursuing education,” Pradhan said.

Unified portal

A government statement said that the Higher Education Department will have a unified portal “PM-Vidyalaxmi” on which students will be able to apply for the education loan as well as interest subvention, through a simplified application process to be used by all banks. “Payment of interest subvention will be made through E-voucher and Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallets,” it said.

The scheme will supplement the Central Sector Interest Subsidy (CSIS) and Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Education Loans (CGFSEL), the two component schemes of PM-USP, being implemented by the Higher Education Department. Under the PM-USP (Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan) CSIS, students with annual family income up to ₹4.5 lakh and pursuing technical/ professional courses from approved institutions get full interest subvention during moratorium period for education loans up to ₹10 lakh.

FCI Capital Infusion

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Narendra Modi, has approved infusion of equity of ₹10,700 crore for working capital in financial year 2024-25 in Food Corporation of India (FCI). “The decision is aimed at bolstering the agricultural sector and ensuring the welfare of farmers nationwide,” a government statement said.

• Also read: IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies & SWAYAM Plus launch semiconductor industry training

FCI started its journey in 1964 with authorised capital of ₹100 crore and equity of ₹4 crore. The operations of FCI increased manifolds resulting in increase of authorised capital from ₹11,000 crore to ₹21,000 crore in February 2024. The equity of FCI was ₹4,496 crore in the financial year 2019-20 which increased to ₹10,157 crore in the financial year 2023-24.

“FCI resorts to short-term borrowings to match the gap of fund requirement. This infusion will help lower the interest burden and will ultimately reduce the subsidy of government,” the statement added.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday partially upheld the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board Act of 2004 while confirming that the State can regulate madrasa education to ensure standards of excellence.

Though holding that the law secured the interests of the Muslim minority community in Uttar Pradesh, a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud declared the provisions of the 2024 Act pertaining to higher education at the levels of Fazil (under-graduate studies) and Kamil (post-graduate studies) were in direct conflict with the provisions of the University Grants Commission Act, and thus, unconstitutional.

The Uttar Pradesh law had wandered into the Centre’s exclusive domain under Entry 66 of the Union List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. Entry 66 conferred the Union the authority to make laws to determine and regulate the standards of higher education.

The judgment, authored by the Chief Justice, said the 2024 Act, except at the Fazil and Kamil levels, was “consistent with the positive obligation of the State to ensure that students studying in recognised madrasas attain a minimum level of competency which allows them to effectively participate in the society and earn a living”.

Chief Justice Chandrachud observed that the 2024 Act, which allowed the Board to prescribe the academic curriculum, textbooks, qualification of teachers and standards of equipment and infrastructure did not directly interfere with the day-to-day administration of recognised madrasas.

Right is ‘not absolute’

The court, while noting that minorities have a right under Article 30 of the Constitution to establish and administer madrasas to impart religious or secular education, said the right was “not absolute”.

“The State has an interest in maintaining the standards of education in minority institutions and may impose regulational conditions for grant of aid and recognition. The Constitutional scheme allows the State to strike a balance between ensuring the standard of excellence and preserving the right of the minorities to establish and administer its educational institutions,” the court explained.

The unanimous judgment, with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra on the Bench, said that ‘education’ in Entry 25 of the Concurrent List must be given a wide meaning. Though recognised madrasas impart religious instruction, their primary aim was education, bringing them within the ambit of Entry 25. The Board under the Act conducted exams and conferred certificates to students.

The top court set aside an Allahabad High Court judgment that the 2024 Act breached Article 21A (right to education) of the Constitution and violated the Basic Structure principle of secularism enshrined in the Preamble.

Chief Justice Chandrachud explained that Article 21A must be read consistently with the rights of religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. The Madrasa Board under the Act, with the approval of the State government, was free to enact regulations “to ensure that religious minority institutions impart secular education of a requisite standard without destroying the minority character”.

“The mere fact that the education sought to be regulated includes some religious teaching or instruction does not push a legislation outside the legislative competence of a State,” the court noted.

However, the CJI referred to Article 28(3) of the Constitution to add that a student attending a minority institution recognised by the State or receiving aid out of public funds should not be compelled to take part in religious instruction or forced to attend religious worship.

On the High Court’s take that the Madrasa Act violated secularism, Chief Justice reasoned that the infraction by the law should be traced to an express provision of the Constitution, and cannot be quashed by making a blanket statement that it contravened the Basic Structure.

“The constitutional validity of a statute cannot be challenged for the violation of the Basic Structure of the Constitution… In a challenge to the validity of a statute for violation of secularism, it must be shown that the law violates the provisions of the Constitution pertaining to secularism… The High Court erred in holding that the statute is bound to be struck down if it is violative of the Basic Structure,” the CJI held.

IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation is partnering with the SWAYAM Plus initiative of the Union Education Ministry to launch a training program in the semiconductor industry for students and graduates. This skill-based training program is intended for Engineering and Science students and graduates from Electronics / Electrical / Mechanical / Manufacturing / Production disciplines, says a release.

The short-term training program will be taught in physical mode at IIT Madras and will focus on the semiconductor Industry. The program offers placement assistance for high-performing students and will make them industry-ready by skilling them with hands-on training.

• Also read: IIT Madras partners with French University to offer sustainable biomanufacturing course

The program aims to inspire students and industry partners to pursue careers in electronics and tackle challenging scientific problems relevant to societal needs and sustainable growth. It is proposed to provide hands-on training accompanied by background theory on the subject delivered by experts from IIT Madras.

SWAYAM Plus is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Education, Government of India and IIT Madras, launched in line with National Education Policy’s focus on promoting and encouraging employability-focused, skilling courses. It aims to build employable skills among graduates across sectors critical to India’s growth. The aim is also to align industry skills with academic courses, thereby bridging the gap, the release said.

• Also read: IIM Bangalore reports 100% internship placement for 2024-26

R. Sarathi, Dean (Planning), IIT Madras, said the training program aims to bridge the gap between idealised concepts learnt from the foundational courses in engineering and the real world. “Our experience indicates that there is a need to strengthen the skills needed in general engineering and to build an intuition in relation to that. The contents of the training program for engineering students are identified through the skill gap between engineering curriculum and practising engineer,” he said in the release.

The participation certificate will be issued by SWAYAM Plus in association with IIT Madras and IITM Pravartak. Accommodation will be offered at IIT Madras campus at a basic cost of ₹650 per day per student, which includes food and stay.

• Also read: Manufacturing regained momentum in October, PMI rose to 57.5

The short-term courses includes Comprehensive Electronics and Embedded Systems; Comprehensive Electronics and Advanced Embedded Technology with IoT; Advanced Electronic Manufacturing with Power electronics fundamental and Digital Manufacturing Practice, the release said.

Amid last year’s hiring slowdown, the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) achieved 100 percent placement for 601 candidates from the PGP and PGP-BA cohorts of 2024-26, securing internships with 140 organisations as part of the mandated summer internship program. The placement drive was held between October 21 to 26.

This marks a significant improvement from previous year’s summer internship placement drive, held from November 6 to 11, which resulted in 490 placements, leaving 100 students unplaced, which translated to roughly one in six candidates unable to secure internships.

• Also read: India may soon be the largest contributor to global growth: IMF representative  

According to the institute, students received offers across diverse domains, including consulting, finance, product management, FMCG, retail, construction, energy, e-commerce, conglomerates, healthcare.

Professor Nishant Verma, Chairperson of Career Development Services, IIM Bangalore, said, “The PGP and PGPBA cohorts delivered an outstanding performance during Summer Placement Week, securing prestigious offers from top companies.”

Management consulting remains the top choice among students, with 38 percent of the offers stemming from this sector, as highlighted by Tapas Ranjan Pati, Head of Career Development Services. “Leading global recruiters provided positive feedback on both the students’ performance and the placement process,” he added.

(With inputs from PTI)

• Also read: Chennai leads in academic start-up incubators while Bengaluru has more industry incubators: Report

The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC) on Friday said it has concluded the “Summer Placements 2024” for the 61st batch of its flagship MBA programme, securing 100 per cent placements.

IIMC completed its summer internship placements on October 25, securing 564 offers for 475 students, it said in a release.

“The placement week was conducted in a hybrid mode where multiple cross functional roles were opened by 175 recruiters across a variety of sectors. The average monthly stipend stood at Rs 1.89 lakh per month while the median was Rs 2 lakh per month, both being a new institute record,” it said, adding the highest domestic monthly stipend stood at Rs 3.67 lakh per month, whereas the highest international monthly stipend stood at Rs 6.75 lakh per month.

The top five percentile of the students secured a monthly stipend of Rs 3 lakh per month.

• Also read: IIM Bangalore reports 100% internship placement for 2024-26

Professor Ritu Mehta, chairperson of placement activities, said, “The outcome of the summer internship offers has yet again demonstrated the future readiness of our students in a highly competitive landscape. Globally, there is an on-going recalibration of managerial jobs and pullback of job postings, hence we are very grateful to our recruiters to repose their trust in our students and our academic processes.”

Like previous years, IIM Calcutta witnessed participation of firms from all major sectors like FMCG, Manufacturing, Finance, Consulting, Technology, Analytics, Pharmaceuticals, Education, among others.

• Also read: India may soon be the largest contributor to global growth: IMF representative

The cluster-cohort placement process that involved various policies such as ‘‘dream offer” enabled recruiters to find a better student-recruiter fit, making the overall process a win-win for both recruiters and students, according to IIMC.

The National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) at Surathkal in Dakshina Kannada district has created a Professorial Chair in the Department of Mining Engineering, with a grant of ₹6 crore from Hutti Gold Mines Ltd.

A media statement said the collaboration with Hutti Gold Mines presents NITK an opportunity to integrate industry expertise into the curriculum, and provide students first-hand insights into real-world challenges.

The Chair is expected to advance research and development at NITK, fostering innovative solutions to industry-specific issues and promoting knowledge exchange. The partnership will also strengthen NITK’s ties with industry, leading to joint research initiatives and the co-development of new technologies, it said.

Established in 1984, the department offers a B Tech programme in Mining Engineering, and has nearly doubled the number of seats to 60 today.

The department also offers Masters, PhD and continuing education programmes. It has well-equipped laboratories, including a realistic mock-up of an underground mine. Most of the faculty members provide high value consulting services to government and private agencies, the statement said.

Megha Engineering Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) will construct Young India Skills University in Hyderabad with ₹200 crore Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The Hyderabad-based company on Saturday said it took the responsibility of constructing all the required buildings in the university campus with state of the art infrastructure facilities.

The decision was taken after a team of representatives of Megha company led by its MD Krishna Reddy met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy at the Secretariat and expressed its desire to join as a partner in the construction of Skills University and also entered into a into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Government for the construction of buildings for the purpose. 

• Also read: Veranda Learning, UTS launch Digital Marketing, Business Analytics courses; shares rise

The Chief Minister performed ‘Bhumi Puja’ for the construction of the Skill University on 57 acres of land near Meerkhanpet in Kandukur mandal in August this year. 

Krishna Reddy said that his company would construct hostel buildings along with academic buildings, workshops and classrooms. The university building models and designs which have already been prepared by the architects are presented in the meeting.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to finalise the building designs within a week and also make arrangements to start the construction of the university buildings from November 8, according to a release. 

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal’s (NCLAT) verdict that had stopped insolvency proceedings against embattled ed-tech firm Byju’s.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also reversed the order of the NCLAT approving Byju’s ₹158.9 crore dues settlement with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and directed the cricket board to deposit the settlement amount of ₹158.9 crore with a committee of creditors.

The bench held that the US firm Glas Trust Company LLC, being the creditor, has the locus to intervene in matters related to the corporate insolvency proceedings at NCLT, NCLAT and in the apex court as an affected party.

• Also read: Prosus writes off $493-m investment in Byju’s

The top court rapped the insolvency appellate tribunal, NCLAT, for flouting established rules in stopping the insolvency proceedings against the ed-tech firm by taking recourse to its inherent powers.

“The NCLAT cannot be considered a post office that merely puts a stamp on the withdrawal application submitted by the parties to the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP),” the bench said, adding that the withdrawal plea should have been moved by the IRP (insolvency resolution professional) not by the corporate debtor or other parties.

It said the exercise of discretionary powers by the NCLAT was not warranted in the present circumstances.